Standby
by Quiteokayish
Summary: Ed liked his job. He liked getting paid to push buttons and carry a camera around. He liked it even more when a certain reporter came into the picture. Newsroom AU, violence and angst in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

Ed had never been very festive during the holiday season. He guessed it was because he was a bitter atheist, at least- that's what Al told him. He never bought decorations or went to parties, and he avoided anywhere public during the holidays.

But this Christmas party was one that he didn't mind attending. It would be Central Station's last, and everyone knew that, even if it wasn't said. He sat in the conference room, which was decorated with green and red streamers. A small Christmas tree was propped up in the corner, and one edge of the long table was dedicated to a variety of food. Usually employee get-togethers were half-ass attempts, but not this one. Everyone in the station was there, even Olivier Armstrong, the stone cold production head had showed up. Roy Mustang, the primary director, sat at the other end of the table next to Riza Hawkeye, the most reliable editor at the station.

Maes Hues, the station's top anchor, sat next to Roy. His wife Gracia was at his side, bouncing their daughter Elicia on her lap. Across from them was Rose, the other anchor. She hadn't touched her roast at all; only staring at the wall behind Ed's head. He didn't blame her; she was a single mom and obviously worried about her fate after the station closed. On her right was Lan Fan and Ling Yao, the two production specialists easily ate half of the casserole before Ed even had a chance to get to it.

His brother, Alphonse, was sitting next to him, smiling and nodding at something that Roy had said. It was only when the blonde producer elbowed his side that Ed sat up straighter and tuned in to the conversation.

"I mean, I remember it like yesterday. When Ed first started out on the studio cameras he had to use a stool to see the viewfinder. It's a wonder he's kept his job this long."

Ed rolled his eyes. "With all the shit you throw at me, it's a wonder I haven't quit yet."

Ling looked up from his meal. "Like you would ever quit."

"He wouldn't." Al said. "Ed doesn't see any friends outside of the station."

Roy chuckled. "It's a wonder he see's anything at all."

At this everyone laughed, and Ed brushed it off. It was definitely not the first time they joked at his expense.

The room went quiet after the jibe, and everyone sipped their champagne in an effort to dissipate the awkwardness.

It was then that Elicia tugged on Maes's sleeve. The man-who never missed a chance to give his daughter attention-, leaned down.

"When are we moving Daddy?"

In retrospect, Ed figured he should have kept quiet. But without thinking he blurted out, "You're moving?"

The smile fell from Maes's face, and he quietly excused himself from the party. Gracia laughed nervously, handing Elicia off to Riza before going after her husband.

If the room was awkward before, it was nothing compared to the silence that followed. Ed, whose face was red from embarrassment, was relieved when Roy cleared his throat.

"You all know where this station is headed." The director said. "I don't blame Maes. I expect all of you to be looking for new jobs as well."

Roy sipped his champagne. "We've all worked here for quite a while. I trust you all. I can be honest with you. I want everyone to have something lined up by June. Come July this station will be no more."

His face loosened up, and he gave them all a nostalgic smile.

"We had some good years."

Everyone agreed, and eventually the room proceeded with normal conversation. Ed however, remained quiet. His food untouched, he leaned back in his chair and contemplated just how different things would be if the world was not at peace.

* * *

"How do you even do this?" Ed asked, stretching his arms above his head. Riza leaned against the doorway of the editing bay. The small black room made it hard for him to make out her features (it didn't help that Ed preferred editing in total darkness) but she appeared to be grinning.

"Can't handle the dirty work?" She asked. "It's boring, yes, but somebody has to do it."

Ed gave a long yawn. "I just can't wait until Roy hires a new anchor. I miss doing live shots."

"I agree. Rebecca really threw us under the bus with her sudden resignation." Riza sighed, "But nobody can really blame her."

"I can." Ed said. "Because of her I haven't touched a camera in weeks."

"It's unlikely you'll do it in the coming months." Riza interjected. "With the wage Roy's offering, there's almost no way anybody will take Rebecca's position."

"Somebody's got to be desperate enough." He said, and standing up asked her, "I'm going to go grab some coffee. Want any?"

"I'll be fine." Riza said, heading back to her editing bay, and added with a sense of finality, "For my sake, I hope Roy does find a reporter. You're a lousy editor."

Ed gave an exaggerated frown. He knew that she was just giving him shit.

There were two ways to survive at the station. You either became a cynical bastard, or you became a normal bastard. Ed wasn't sure which category he fit into.

Heading back to the editing bays with a cup of mediocre coffee and a plate of stolen cookies, Ed turned the corner and gave a loud "fuck" as he bumped into someone, nearly spilling his drink and dropping the plate of snacks.

"Sorry, sorry." He said, leaning down to clean up his mess. The cookies would be fine- he thought with relief. He'd have to vacuum up the crumbs later.

"Ed?"

He looked up sharply at the sound of that voice. It sure as hell wasn't Riza's.

"Winry?"

Sure enough, his childhood friend stood before him. She was much prettier than he remembered her. She wore her blonde hair tied up and a form fitting blue dress. Her face was more angular than he remembered, but her eyes were the same, big and blue like they had always been.

Realizing that he was still on the ground, holding a plate of floor cookies and staring up at her like an idiot, Ed got to his feet.

"What are you doing here?"

"I could as you the same question." She said, putting a hand on her hip.

"I've worked here for a couple years now." He said, raising an eyebrow at her.

She nodded as if that were fair enough. "I just applied for the reporter job." She said. "And Roy was pretty quick to give it to me. I'm honestly surprised."

Ed sighed. "Don't be." He said, and when Winry gave him a questioning look, he glanced at the clock on the wall to see that his dinner break was near.

"Are you doing anything today?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Filling out some paperwork, but other than that…"

He gave her a grin. "Why don't we go out to dinner? It's been a while."

* * *

Being the broke twenty two year old that he was, Ed was silently overjoyed that Winry settled for a coffee shop. They ate biscuits at a round table, which was by a window overlooking the ice-glazed road. Both had ordered double shots in their coffee, and Ed assumed it was because Winry was just as stressed out as he was.

"So why are you here?" he asked, not really sure how to gracefully lead into a subject. Winry knew that, and didn't skip a beat.

"I saw the opening on a newspaper in Resembool." She said. Leaning back, she sipped her coffee and said: "I had been working at Garfiel's radio station for some time as an engineer. I really enjoyed it there, the technology was fascinating to me, even if it was a little outdated."

Ed nodded. Garfiel had been running the radio station for as long as he could remember. It broadcasted local and national news, as well as occasional music. His mom had always listened to it in the mornings while making breakfast.

"At one point, Garfiel had gotten a nasty cold and his voice was nearly gone." Winry continued, "He enlisted me to do the show in his stead. I was nervous as hell, but I actually found it pretty fun. I cohosted with him every now and again, and filled in on the weekends. I liked it so much that when I saw the opening in central I thought I might as well try it out. I had a good reference."

"I see." The camera operator said. "But Winry I have to tell you… this job won't last long. The station is going under before the end of the summer."

The blonde started, blinking. "Why?"

Ed gazed out the window. "Television hasn't advanced like we thought it would. People still prefer radios. They're simple and inexpensive. That and we lost our contract deal with a big marketer. He was going to use television and out broadcasts as a way to bring more people into his electronics shop, and we based too much off of that deal. That's why you were hired so quickly."

She sat back, twiddling her thumbs.

"-but," Ed added quickly, "At least this way if you don't like it here you won't have to commit too much. You get a reference and you don't have to worry about being in a job you don't like."

"I guess." Winry said, and sighing, she put her head in her hands. Ed stiffened, hoping that she wouldn't cry. Rose had done it once after a particularly bad show, and it left him rather confused and weary.

But by his luck, she looked up with dry eyes, even if here eyebrows were turned down in frustration.

"I'm sorry Winry." He said, looking out the window. "It's not a very fun concept."

"It's worse for you than it is for me." She pointed out. "Besides, haven't you been working here for a few years now?"

"Four," Ed said with a nod. "We're basically like a family there now."

"I'm sorry." Winry said sympathetically. "That's got to be pretty painful."

He supposed it was. He'd never tell them, but he cared quite a bit about the crew., even if they made him question his sanity nearly every day.

"Anyways," he started, not keen on continuing with that subject. "How are thing's moving back home?"

"They aren't." she said, grinning, and Ed smiled back.

"Sounds like typical Resembool. How's Pinako?"

"The same as always," Winry said, "She's going to be incredibly pissed off when you two talk. She was wondering when you and Al would call. Or at least send a letter."

Ed cocked his head. "I did!"

She raised an eyebrow, "Twice. In four years Ed, you only sent us two letters."

"Well it's not like I don't have a life here."

"And you didn't have one back home?"

He paused, crossing his arms. "Not after what happened."

Winry looked away quickly. "I suppose not."

He stood up, it had been nearly six years since Ed had spoken freely about his mother's death, he wasn't about to start now.

"Hey," he said, reaching his hand out to Winry, who was doing everything she could to avoid eye contact. "I've got to head back to work. How about I give you a ride home? Taxi fare is rather ridiculous."

He smiled, trying to be reassuring. He hadn't meant to upset her. To his relief she took the hand that he offered her, and together they returned to his car.

"So when do you report for work?" he asked, turning the heat up as soon as the car started.

"Next week." She said, "I'll be trained for a couple weeks by Maes. I should be in the studio by the end of the month."

"Exciting." He said, pulling out of the parking lot. "Do you know what your first project will be?"

"I'll be reporting at the capital building during the new year's party."

Ed nodded, he had expected as much. The station took whatever chance they had to put something on the news, even something as menial as a party. That party in particular was one that he wasn't excited about. The last time he had gone he was barely the legal drinking age, and had went way over the top on alcohol intake. The hangover he suffered the next day had left him with a fear of beer that lasted several months.

"So are you staying with Al?" she asked, "I'd like to see him soon."

"We share an apartment on North Avenue." Ed said, and then added. "I forgot to tell you, but he works at the station too, he's a producer."

Winry gave him a look. "Why would they hire somebody from your family? Doesn't that run a risk of dragging your personal life into the office?"

Ed shrugged. "Sure it does. But Al and I rarely fight. We're pretty good at keeping our business out of work."

"I guess that makes sense." She said, "So when are you going to invite me over for dinner?"

He raised an eyebrow. "That's usually a thing I'm supposed to bring up. You can't just invite yourself over."

"Sure I can!" she said, grinning at him.

He sighed. The apartment hadn't been properly cleaned in almost a month. "Maybe this weekend? I can come get you."

"Sounds good to me." She said. "I live on Grays Road, but I can just meet you at the train station if that's too far to drive."

"That might work better." Ed said, "Are you all moved in?"

"Not yet," she said, "Granny Pinako is coming next week to help me out."

The camera operator sighed heavily. "So I guess I'll be seeing her sooner than I thought."

"Yep!" Winry affirmed. "I just wanted to give you a fair warning."

"In that case, I might quit my job sooner than I thought."

They laughed, and Ed's smile lasted a little longer than it usually did.

* * *

Despite how fast he drove, Ed was still ten minutes late when he returned to the station. Winry lived much farther out than he had thought, and they were quick to decide that she'd take the train from then on. Gas was expensive.

He bounded up the concrete stairs two steps at a time, and quickly entered his key code and swung open the heavy door. He jumped when he saw none other than Roy Mustang waiting inside.

"You're late." The director said.

"I know, I'm sorry." Ed said, "It won't happen again."

Roy raised a black eyebrow. "I don't want an apology." He said, and as Ed moved past him he continued: "What I want is to know about your relationship with Miss Rockbell."

He stopped, wondering at his boss's implications. "What do you mean?" He asked carefully.

"Maes saw you leaving with her." Roy elaborated.

Ed sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "She's an old friend," he said, turning around to smile at him. "We just went out for coffee is all."

"And you two are getting along?"

"Well-yeah…" Ed said, folding his arms in front of him.

"Good." Roy said, "That means you'll work well together."

The blonde rolled his eyes, and began to make his way down the hall. He was nearly around the corner when the director called after him:

"You'll be staying after tonight, by the way."

He wasn't surprised at this. "What would you like me to do?" he grumbled. "Being after hours, it's not like there's any news."

"I know." The dark haired man grinned at him. "You can fill the printers, your favorite job."

"Goddammit."

* * *

That weekend was spent vigorously cleaning their apartment, not just for Winry, but for the sake of cleaning as well. It was quite disgusting, and Ed breathed a large sigh when they had finally finished.

Al was jittery the entire drive to the train station. When Ed had first told him of Winry's employment at Central Station, his brother had immediately gone to a phone to try to get a hold of her. When the operator put him through, they spent a good twenty minutes talking, all the while Ed sat at the table viewing a photography book. But he did manage to catch every other sentence, and from what he heard, Winry was getting along with Al much better than she did with him.

"I still can't believe you didn't invite me to get coffee with you two." Al said accusingly.

"You were busy blocking a show." Ed said, "And besides, it was a spur of the moment thing. I quite literally ran into her."

By now they had pulled into the parking lot of the train station, and were layering up for the bitter winter cold before they went out to meet Winry. Al was quick to do so, obviously more excited than Ed. It wasn't that the older brother didn't want to see her; it was just that it had been a long day, and ever since their awkward meeting he wasn't keen on doing it again.

They made their way onto the concrete plateau, both with their hands stuffed deep in the pockets of their leather jackets. It was only when Al spotted Winry that the younger removed them to instead open his arms wide and pick her up in a sweeping hug.

"It's so great to see you!" He said, and setting her down, continued: "We should head to the car soon though, it's pretty cold out."

The blonde nodded, and smiled at Ed briefly before becoming engrossed in a conversation with Al as the three started back for the car. About halfway there Ed overhead Winry saying something to the effect of: "You've gotten tall!" to which his eyebrow twitched rather aggressively.

The ride home was full of small talk, with Ed occasionally adding in a sarcastic jibe. He was grateful that they only had to drive from the train station, since the roads were icy this time of night and his driving skills weren't nearly as good as they could have been.

When they finally made it up to the apartment, the chicken in the oven was well done, if even a little too done. Ed took off his coat before reaching in the fridge to grab some salad. It was the first acceptable dinner they had had in months.

"Nice place you've got here." Winry commented, setting her shoes by the door before finding her way to the table. "Your walls are pretty bare though."

"I suppose we never got around to decorating." Al said, taking the chicken out of the oven.

"Yeah," Ed affirmed, "That, and the fact that we're never home… well it makes for a pretty lame apartment."

"How late do you work?" Winry asked as she sat down.

"Ed is usually done by ten." Al said, "But I'm not out of there until eleven, and since he's my ride, he gets held down at the station quite a bit."

"And you're a producer, right Al?"

"That's right!" The brother grinned at her as he took out three plates and some appropriate silverware. "I write the scripts and find the stories. And if I'm ever planning on taking a day off, well that means I'm doing double time the night before."

"That's terrible!" She said.

"That's life." Ed responded. "You work your ass off and hope you can make it til the next year."

"At least- that's what Olivier says," Al interjected," and she's not the biggest optimist."

"And what does she do?"

By now Al had finished the plates and set them on the table. He went to grab a pitcher of water, meanwhile explaining Olivier's position as production head.

"She can be intimidating, but she has to be if she wants us all to behave." He said.

"She's also the scariest bitch you'll meet." Ed added quickly, and when Al shot him a look he continued: "But she's not so bad if you just do what she says."

"She's fair." The younger elaborated. "More than people give her credit for."

"Oh my," Winry said, picking up her fork. "You two really haven't changed."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

* * *

The night continued with jokes and good company. Ed admitted to himself that he missed just sitting and talking with Al. It had been a while since the brother's had actually spent quality time together. Winry was a nice bonus too, though for some reason she made him nervous. He couldn't quite figure out why.

Before they knew it the clock hit midnight and the trio spent a good five minutes bundling up before venturing out to the car. The ride back to the station was quiet, the streets being rather empty at that time of night. The brother's walked her up the concrete steps, and they bid goodbye before venturing back to the car, trying to not look as if they were in a hurry due to the weather.

"You know something Ed?" Al asked once they had pulled back onto the street. "Winry has gotten really pretty."

"You think so?" the older of the two asked, and the producer rolled his eyes.

"Don't act like you didn't notice."

Ed sat up straighter. "I guess she has. But I thought you had a thing with the neighbor girl?"

"May?" Al asked, blinking. "Well yeah, I guess I do. I was just pointing it out is all."

Ed released a huff, bringing his eyes back to the road. He only looked back at the passenger seat when Al giggled.

"What are you laughing at?" he asked.

"Nothing, though I should warn you, it's never a good idea to get involved with a coworker."

He felt his face get red as his foot hovered over the break. "I don't have a thing with Winry."

"Not anymore anyways." Al said. "I'm just referencing that time you two kissed."

He punched his brother's arm lightly. "We were nine."

"Yeah, and she had to bend down to kiss you."

Ed glared ahead. "Says the guy who hasn't even been kissed yet."

At this his younger brother scoffed. "Like you would know."

"Well- have you?"

They sat in silence for a good ten seconds, only to burst into laughter.

Ed couldn't help but wonder what would happen when the station closed down, and the inevitability of them working separately, and even the thought of moving away from each other left him a little empty inside..

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Hey guys! I decided to go back and change somethings and repost. (notice I've combined chapter one and chapter two, if you read this fic before the reposting) Hope that's all good with you.**

 **Hope you enjoy this story, chapter two is on it's way after some editing. Please let me know what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

The following week was made up of training and practice shoots. Ed was more than happy to be out on a camera again. Winry stumbled over her words at first, interjecting some poorly timed curses . Maes, who was training her, was quick to extinguish them before it became a bad habit. They started off simple, with Winry in the studio taking cues from Ling and Lan Fan, the two camera operators. Ed stopped in to watch one of her training sessions, and was surprised at how quickly she picked things up. By the end of that week, she breezed through her practices and was ready to start.

Riza showed her the ways of editing, which wasn't nearly as difficult as some made it out to be. Once you knew the shortcuts and how to attach files, it became an art rather than a science. Her first package was one about the city wide Christmas tree project, where all who wished could drop off their trees at the park center, and they would be turned to mulch, which would be spread in the city gardens. Her and Ed had gone out to shoot that day, and she had a successful through with the head worker, only to admit in the car ride back that she had been incredibly nervous and thought that she had failed.

The day came for her to appear in the studio. When the show started, Ed pushed away from his editing bay and rolled his chair around to see the monitor which displayed the live feed. The opening animation rolled, and soon there was Maes and Rose, both looking prepped and dapper.

"Good evening, thanks for joining us, I'm Maes Hughes." Said the anchor sitting on the left side of the desk.

"And I'm Rose Thomas," the brunette next to him interjected. "Tonight we're going to tell you about how a local shelter has given jobs to nearly one hundred people. But first, we have someone to introduce to you. There's a new reporter at the station and her name is Winry Rockbell. She brings us our first story of the night."

The reporter animation rolled, one that Ed hadn't seen since Rebecca quit. Soon Winry was on camera, and he sat up a little straighter in his chair.

"Maes, Rose, it's wonderful to be here." She said, clenching the papers in her hand tightly. "The city's parks and recreation center is finding new ways to save resources as we head out of the holiday season. Here's the details."

Her package rolled. It was edited proficiently, to the point where it was almost dull. But he didn't blame her, creativity would come as she became more comfortable with her work. The subject itself was boring, but she did a good job of drawing attention to it, using several old videos of Christmas trees and holiday lights. As well as a ten second clip from the interview.

The package ended, and went back to Winry, who must have skipped her cue, because she was mic clipped rather obviously.

"-rather than simply throwing them away." She said, "Live in the studio, Winry Rockbell, Central news."

He breathed a small sigh. Her first appearance had been a success. He stretched, feeling rather proud of his friend, and went back to the editing bay.

Several minutes later, Ed heard footsteps in the hallway. He turned, knowing that it must have been the anchors. Winry accompanied them, chatting cheerfully with Rose. She didn't even stop until he called out to her.

"Hey Winry!" Ed said, scooting his chair into the doorway. She paused and turned back to him, Maes and Rose stopping as well.

"You did really well." He said, scratching his head.

"Thanks Ed." She gave him a toothy grin. "I was pretty nervous."

"You could have fooled me."

"Hey Ed, we're going to get coffee, do you want anything?" Maes asked.

Ed shook his head. "That's alright, you guys have fun!"

With that he scooted back into his bay, and Riza, two bays away from him, smiled.

* * *

The week passed quickly, and Winry was featured in the studio at least once a day. By the time New Year 's Eve rolled around, she was a natural at studio reporting.

He came to pick her up for the party at eight o'clock, his camera in a metal case in the back seat of the station's van. He wasn't scheduled to work that night, but didn't mind the overtime that would come from it.

Winry twiddled her thumbs the entire way there, and Ed understood why. This was much different form a studio, the cues were more difficult to understand and she couldn't use a script. Ed kept the music low so that she could rehearse her lines as they drove to the capital building.

They planned to check in on her three times that night, twice during the one hour show, and once during the half hour show. They were to report on the party and the weather and menial things like that, and then get some interviews from the crowd, as well as some footage of the fireworks at midnight. After that they could be on their way.

They set up first on the stairs of the capital building, with the light from indoors streaming out and landing on Winry, highlighting her against crowd that flowed in. Ed noticed as he handed her the mic that she was being particularly fidgety.

"Are you nervous?" he asked her, putting on his head set, half listening as Al ran through the night's rundown on the other line.

"Yeah," she said. "There's just a lot of things that can go wrong."

"Don't stress about it," he said, getting his focus then setting up the shot. "You'll be fine. I've got your back."

"Two minutes to the live shot." He heard Al say in his headset before relaying it to Winry.

"We got to stick together you know." Ed added. "If a reporter and their camera operator don't get along, things get really shitty really fast."

Winry took the small mirror from her pocket to check her make up one last time.

"Well it looks like things are going to get shitty then."

He glanced briefly in her directly to make sure that she was kidding, to which she gave him a crooked grin.

"Now just remember Winry, swearing on air probably won't get you fired, but you will have a talk with Olivier, which is enough for people to make them quit on their own."

She rolled her eyes. "Thanks for the support Ed."

"Standby, Ed." He heard Al in his ear say.

"Standby." He repeated, and Winry automatically stood up straighter, her face pulled tight as she tried to appear calm.

"Hey-" Ed said, making eye contact with her. "You'll do fine."

"Cue her."

He cued her, and Winry went on a brief ad lib about the party, those estimated to attend, and the current activities provided. She was on air for nearly a minute before Al gave him the cue to wrap her, so he did by waving his hand out at the right of the camera.

When they were off air, she let out a huge sigh of relief.

"See, what did I tell you?" Ed said, picking up his camera. "You did great."

"That was the most terrifying thing I've ever done." Winry said.

"It'll get better over time," Ed said reassuringly. "And for the record, you're doing really well for just starting off."

She offered him a smile. "Thanks Ed," she said, "Now let's go get some hot chocolate.

* * *

They went on to interview an elderly couple who came to the New Year's Eve party every year, as well as a local representative who discussed his hopes for the coming year. By the last on-scene shot, Winry hardly broke a sweat.

The capital building's main hall was large and full of people, most of those being the upper class. Ed would say he felt out of place, wearing only jeans and a sweater, compared to the expensive dresses and suits that the other attendees adorned. Winry was making quite a few connections, networking with potential sponsors and government officials. Their interactions digressed to Ed simply going to the buffet and filling his plate, then finding a seat against the wall. After about twenty minutes, Winry made her way in his direction, sitting next to him she released a loud sigh.

"You having fun?" Ed asked as he finished off his plate.

"I am." Winry responded. "It's different. I don't think I've ever seen this many people together at once."

"Central City sure is the opposite of Resembool." Ed remarked. "I can see why it would be a bit of a culture shock."

"To be honest though, I like it a lot. I've never been this exhausted just from talking to people. It's a bit refreshing." She said.

"There's a train station a few block down, you can head home if you want." Ed said. "All we need is a beauty shot of the fireworks at midnight. That doesn't really take two people."

"That's alright." Winry responded, crossing her legs and leaning back. "I've got nothing better to do. Besides, you need a chaperone. Didn't you get super drunk the last time you did this?"

Ed sat up. "Who told you?"

"Roy," she elaborated. "He said that your shots were as shaky as hell, and that you even threw up in the lawn. He had to come get you-"

"Alright, alright." Ed stopped her. "Yeah I got drunk, but hey, the champagne here is kick ass to say the least. And best of all free."

"I wonder," Winry started, "Are you a sad drunk, or an angry drunk? Or do you do a lot of shit talking?"

"You'll never know." The blond said. "I've sworn off alcohol altogether. "

"You're probably the drunk that cries a lot."

Ed rolled his eyes, but didn't respond.

"I bet I could just call Mustang right now and ask him…"

"Alright, alright." The camera operator said. "I'm the sad drunk, okay? Now that we've covered that can we change the subject?"

Winry grinned at him. "Whatever you say Ed."

He sighed, rubbing his forehead. "I was going to comment on how you got pretty good at reporting by the end of the night, but now I kind of want to take that back."

"You already said it." Winry said. "And anyways, I think the only difference between reporting and my job at the radio station is that I have to look pretty constantly."

"Well I'll be damned. " Ed said, "Looks like you'll have to quit."

She elbowed him in the ribs, and he gave her a wide grin.

The night went on with playful banter and a great deal of sarcasm, until about ten minutes before midnight when they headed outside to get the shot of the fireworks. A man over a speaker gave a loud countdown to the New Year, and Winry huddled close beside him as Ed set up his camera. He was grateful when the clock finally struck midnight and he could get his shot, it took all that was in him to keep his hands from shaking with the winter chill.

As soon as he had a decent amount of footage, they dashed back to the car, Ed turning on the heater at full blast before he even sat down.

"So, Ed," Winry started from her seat beside him. "Was this year better than last year?"

"A hundred times, yes." Ed said, "And I'm not even being sarcastic."

"For once," she added for good measure.

"For once." He affirmed.

Ed was halfway to the station when he first noticed the van making a strange gurgling noise. It seemed to be coming from the engine, and it sounding like boiling water. He quickly parked and turned it off.

"What the hell?" he breathed as he opened the car door, going around to the front and pop the hood. He inspected the engine, getting nervous as he felt the cold wind hit his ears. The last thing he wanted to do was screw up the company van, but at the same time he had no interest in hanging out in freezing weather.

"Shit." He mumbled, looking at the engine absently. He had no idea how to fix a vehicle of any kind, let alone a large van.

"We should go to the gas station."

Ed turned, he had nearly forgot that Winry was with him. The blonde stood bundled up beside him.

He shook his head, annoyed that he was in this situation. He pulled out his cell phone and began to dial before Winry asked:

"Who are you calling?"

"Al." he said. "We obviously can't drive back. He'll have to come get us."

"There's no need for that." She said. "There's a gas station a couple blocks from here."

He was confused. "Why do you want to go to a gas station so bad? Do you want snacks? There's some trail mix in the glove compartment." His statement sounded more irritated than it needed to, and he noticed when her face became drawn with anger.

"No." Winry said. "First of all, don't call Al, the roads are too icy and it'll be a half an hour before he can get to us, and we didn't exactly park in a safe area." She gestured at the questionable road around them, with a deadly mix of pot holes and black ice.

Ed put a hand on his hip.

"Second of all, your engine overheated. We passed a gas station a few minutes ago, there should be some coolant there that we can buy. "

They made the trek to the gas station through harsh winds and icy sidewalks. Winry took off her heels at that point, explaining that she didn't care if she got frost bite. The path was slick enough as it was, and she wasn't intent on breaking any bones.

By the time they had got back to the car with the coolant it was one o'clock in the morning, and both were rather grumpy. Ed watched as Winry took off the cap and began to fill the tank with the green liquid, her hands shaking from the cold. He realized how strange it must look, with the guy standing back and watching as the girl leaned over and fixed the engine. He supposed that it was Winry though, and she was much better at these things then he was.

A long night of slippery roads and biting comments followed as he drove her home. And Ed, a little pride worn, wasn't in the mood to talk to Al when he got home, and went straight to his bed.

* * *

The stations views were on a slow but steady decline deep into January. The newsroom did what they could to keep their hopes up, telling jokes and playing pranks on the slow days, not a single person mentioning the stations mortality. Hughes had a job lined up at a local radio station, as well as Rose. Winry was considering a position at a nearby automail shop. Meanwhile Al and Ed were of lower rank and skill level. The older of the two brothers was looking into the military, while Al had construction work as a fallback.

As January came to a close Winry made plans with the Elric brothers to help her officially move her in. Pinako had come for a brief day long visit to drop off some furniture and clothes. While Ed and Al had promised nearly a month earlier to help her move in, neither were quite prepared to meet Pinako again, being sure that she would have their asses for not keeping in contact over the years.

Judgement day came, and Ed, trying to show that he was no longer an irresponsible youth; wore one of his nicer button up shirts, and Al actually bothered with putting some wax in his hair. They nervously approached the door of Winry's apartment, and before Ed could knock, the door swung open, and a grumpy Pinako stood waiting for them at the threshold.

"Well I'll be damned." She said, peering over her glasses. "If it isn't the Elric brothers. I thought for sure the both of you had fallen off of the face of the earth."

"It's nice to see you again, Pinako." Al said, smiling sweetly.

"Hey Granny." Ed said.

She assessed them for a few more moments, before pulling a face and saying, "Ed, it seems like you haven't grown an inch."

"You're kind of a midget yourself." He responded, knowing exactly where this was going.

"I'm old." She said, "What's your excuse?"

"Hey you two," Winry called from inside the apartment. "Keep it civil. There's no need to fight, you're both the same size."

Ed fumed, Al rolled his eyes, and the day commenced.

* * *

While most people would assume moving boxes would be full of clothes, books, pots and pans, Winry's contained a gross amount of gadgets and tools for fixing automail.

"Hey Winry?" Ed asked from where he sat on the floor, sorting through her things. "Do you really need two miniature toolboxes?"

The blonde gave him a sickeningly sweet smile. "Oh Edward, you'll never understand."

He frowned. She only called him Edward when she was being condescending. He thought that that habit would have died out when he left, but it seemed to not be so.

"You do realize the hassle this will be when you have to move again in six months, right?" Ed asked as he and Al carried the couch into her living room.

"Not if I get a job locally," Winry responded from where she sat on the carpet, hooking up her landline.

"Now don't go working for any of my competitors," Pinako said from where she stood in the kitchen making stew.

"And what about you two?" Winry asked. "What do you plan to do when the station closes?"

"I've got a job with construction lined up." Al said.

"I'm thinking about the military." Ed added afterwards.

Winry stared at him, "What?"

"The military," the older Elric brother said. "I'm probably going to enlist."

"You really are and idiot." Pinako said from the kitchen.

"Hey, where did you get that idea from?" Ed asked, slightly annoyed.

"If you're serious about joining the military, then I don't need to explain anything. You're an idiot" His elder said.

"But we're at a time of peace, I won't be in danger." Ed said, "And besides- I can travel. It would be a fun job."

"That's not it." Winry said. "It's what they stand for. The military does whatever the government tells them, they can't have any opinions or choices. Do you really want someone to have that much control over your life?"

"Look, I don't know." Ed said, at this point more than irritated. "It's just a job, okay? That's all I care about. Not everyone can be a star reporter. I'll take your advice when you're in my position."

"Ed!" Al said, shooting him a pointed glare.

He realized too late how his words sounded, and standing, he avoided the eyes of everyone as he left the apartment.

He walked through the halls for a while in a sort of daze. He was angry at himself for snapping at them, but he was more upset with Winry and Pinako. Ed knew that they just wanted the best for him, but he just couldn't understand why they were so quick to belittle his choice. It wasn't like they had any say in the matter, yet they chose to interject.

He rounded to corner and found what he was looking for, the door that led to the second story porch, and the stairs that would lead him back to his car. He was nearly halfway down the flight before he stopped.

This was the last time he'd see Pinako for God knew how long. And he would ruin the encounter by getting butthurt over her comments? Even though she practically raised him when his mother died and he and Al were alone?

Ed sighed, and slowly went back up to the porch. He leaned against the railing, letting the cold metal sting his skin. He just needed to take a breather, then he'd go back and apologize.

He was only there for a few moments however, before the door behind him creaked open.

"Hey."

Recognizing the voice as Winry's, he looked briefly over his shoulder in acknowledgement.

"I didn't mean to piss you off." She said, coming to stand beside him. "Granny and I were just worried. You know how we feel about the military."

"Yeah." Ed said, not meeting her eyes. "You made it pretty obvious how you feel."

When his words were met with silence, he glanced in her direction, only to see that her face was blank, almost melancholy. He sighed deeply, and after several moments of mustering up his courage, he continued:

"I'm sorry for what I said." He muttered quietly. "This entire situation is stressful. The military wasn't my first choice either. But I don't have any schooling, and my only training is in a failing industry. I don't have much going for me."

Winry took less time to answer him than he thought she would. "You'll be fine." She said, elbowing him softly. "I'm sorry too, by the way."

"You'd think we would have grown up in the past few years." Ed said. "But we're pretty much the same."

"You can say that again." She remarked. "I still have no idea what I'm doing here. But I'm glad I came." She smiled, looking out at the dark street. "I missed you two a lot."

"We missed you." Ed said, and it was true. The first year in central city had been incredibly lonely, and even as they evolved to fit their surroundings, the Elric brothers still talked about Resembool. They longed for the rolling hills and the quiet countryside, even if they were too stubborn to admit it.

"We should go back inside." Winry said. "I'm freezing."

When they returned to the apartment, Pinako and Al both sat at the table eating stew and discussing something that seemed rather dull. Ed and Winry served themselves, then smoothly joined the conversation they were having as if nothing had happened.

He absentmindedly took a sip, and then smiled at the taste of it. He hadn't had this stew for four years. Making eye contact with Al, the two made a silent agreement to take as many containers of leftovers as they could.

* * *

Pinako left, and a week passed before they got their next assignment. Winry was due to cover the annual art festival, and Ed was ready to get on scene again, only to find out that they would be prerecording for a package, and not reporting live.

"Is it bad that I sometimes wish we lived in a crime infested city," Winry asked out of the blue on the way over. "It would just make this job much more interesting."

Ed shrugged. "Careful what you wish for." He said, though silently, he agreed with her.

The art festival took place at the civic center, and featured several booths of crafts, as well as paintings, sculptures, and live music. Ed got quite a few quality shots, including an interview with the director of the festival. All in all it took an hour for them to get out and head back to the station to export their video.

By the time their video was offloaded and they were set to go, Al was still in his cubicle writing stories for the coming week. He usually worked late, so Ed figured he'd be fine to walk Winry to the train station.

"Today was eventful." Winry said, leaning against a pillar as they waited for her train to come.

Ed snorted. "If you think that was anything, just wait until we have a court case. I've spent weeks at the statehouse just sitting in the waiting room in case something interesting happened."

She stared at him. "You're joking."

He grinned. "Absolutely not-"

But before he could finish his sarcastic comment, he was interrupted by the catcalls of construction workers as they walked by. At first he was confused, and then he realized that they were talking to Winry, who pointedly ignored them.

"Look's like sugar's got herself a boyfriend." One of them said.

"Damn." Another responded. "I was hoping to get a piece of that ass."

"You know, whatever he's got, I've got more of!" One said rather loudly.

Winry turned and flipped them off.

"Maybe later, sweetie." the leader of the group said, giving her an exaggerated wink before walking off with his gang.

"What the hell was that?" Ed asked, feeling his chest clench up.

She sighed, glaring ahead. "Don't worry, this happens all the time."

"And you just let them get away with it?"

Her glare turned to him. "First of all, Ed, I didn't see you doing anything to keep them off."

He blinked, her statement stung him.

"Second of all, there's five of them and one of me. What do you expect me to do?"

Her words sunk in like a sharp knife. "Why didn't you tell me about this?"

She shrugged. "This is kind of a regular thing for most women."

Ed stood in silence for the remainder of their time together, and as he waved goodbye when Winry boarded the car, he made the silent decision to accompany her to the train station from that day on.

As he returned to the station parking lot, he noticed that Al was waiting for him in the front seat of their car, and he welcomed the heat that washed over him when he slipped into the driver's seat.

"Where were you?" the younger brother asked.

"Just making sure Winry got home safe." Ed said as he pulled out of his spot.

About a minute passed before Ed started, "Hey Al?"

"Yeah?"

"I don't think you should join construction."

* * *

The next night was not as peaceful as the last, and as Ed stood waiting with Winry at the station, he was filled with dread at the sight of the same construction workers from the previous day.

They were quick to let out loud and harsh comments about the Winry, and some were even directed at him. He nearly let them pass by before one of them said,

"Looks like the bitch's man was more than a one night stand, I bet she was good-"

He whirled around, not letting the worker finish.

"Who do you dumbasses think you are?" Ed growled.

"Hey, go fuck yourself, mate." The tallest of the five said.

"Yeah," the bearded one said, "Just 'cause your girl's got a nice rack…"

Ed wasn't sure what happened, but the next thing he knew he was rushing towards them. He swung his fists wildly, landing a punch on the bearded one, definitely breaking his nose.

"Oi, grab him." One of them said, and the next thing he knew, two men stood holding his arms. He barely had time to look up before a fist hit him in the jaw, making him curse loudly. The next one came for his stomach, and he gasped as it knocked the wind out of him.

"Stop!" Winry yelled, trying to pull the man that was beating him away.

He elbowed her harshly, hitting her square in the head and sending her to the ground.

Ed struggled in the men's arms, but the next punch came for his nose, which broke with a loud crack before blood started to pool down his face. The man grabbed his shirt and wrenched him forward, hitting him against the temple, making the shorter of the two see stars.

"You knock it off right now!" a nearby woman yelled at the group. "I'm calling the police!"

The punches slowed and dwindled as time went on, and soon they left him as more and more people threatened to call law enforcement.

He was dropped to the ground, and he laid there like a rag doll for a while.

He heard someone shifting, it was probably Winry getting to her feet. He wondered vaguely if she was alright.

"Hey dumbass." He heard Winry's voice from above him. "Can you move?"

Ed nodded, his entire body shaking as he got to his feet. He was incredibly dizzy and spitting blood.

"I'm seriously resisting the urge to beat the shit out of you right now." She said, putting an arm around his waist so she could help him to the car. "There were five of them. What were you thinking?"

"I wasn't." Ed said, though his voice was garbled by the blood stuffing his nose and pooling in his throat. Oh how he dreaded the pain that next morning would bring.

"If I ever become an alcoholic, Edward Elric, it will be because of you."

He grinned at her, though she only snorted at the sight of blood in his teeth and his swollen nose. He must have looked absolutely ridiculous.

"What happened?" Al asked, rushing from the car as soon as he saw them.

"You brother had the bright idea to start a fight." Winry said, helping Ed into the back seat and then sliding in next to him. "And thanks to that I missed my train."

"No one said you had to take me to the car."

"No, but I'm a sensible person. Unlike some people."

"God, you two." Al said as he started the car. "Are you going to be okay?"

Ed felt Winry hand him a random shirt from the back seat, probably one that needed to be washed anyway, and she was soon prompting him to lean forward and let the blood from his nose drip onto it.

"We'll live." Winry said. Touching the large red mark on her forehead that would surely give her a couple of black eyes.

"We could press charges." Ed said.

"No we couldn't, you threw the first punch, moron."

"Pretty sure the law says otherwise." He mumbled.

"Do you really want to fight me on this?" She snapped, crossing her arms.

"No thanks, I've had enough fights for today."

Winry sighed, rolling her eyes. "I swear to God."

"I can drop you off at your place, if you'd like." Al called back to her.

"That would be for the best." She responded.

The car ride commenced in bickering, and small interjections of awkward silence. When they pulled up to her house, Winry's hand was already on the door handle.

"Bye Al," she said and then added for good measure, "Please help Ed get his shit together."

As she left Ed groaned. "God, she's being bitchy." He said. "I don't know why."

"What happened?" Al asked, looking back at his brother.

"Some guys were catcalling her." Ed explained, taking a deep breath in an effort to calm his spinning head." I got mad and slugged one of them. I don't know why, I just wanted them to shut up."

"' _Them?"_ Al asked. "How many guys were there?"

He shrugged. "Four or five."

Al let out an exasperated sigh. "Ed, that was stupid."

"I don't get why she's so angry." Ed said, "I was the one who got the beating."

"Yeah, but she did too. What's Roy going to say when she walks into work tomorrow with two black eyes?"

The camera operator blinked as he understood the gravity of what his brother had just said. "Shit."

"Shit is right." Al said slowly, his voice filled with fake sweetness, as if he was talking to a young child. "He might even have you talk to Olivier."

"Fuck."

"Fuck is also right."

* * *

Ed's predictions were right, and that next morning he felt even worse than he did with the hangover from the previous year's New Year 's Eve party.

He did what he could for his aching ribs and pounding head with heavy doses of pain killer, though the swelling in his nose couldn't be hidden too well, nor the bruise on his jaw.

With an ominous dread he walked into the station, and was not surprised when he saw Roy waiting for him in the hallway.

"We need to talk."

He grudgingly followed the director upstairs, and closed his office door behind him, though remained standing as Roy took a seat in his large leather chair.

"Winry showed up to work today with two black eyes."

Ed nodded.

"And you look pretty beat up yourself." He added. "Would you care to give me your side of the story?"

The camera operator explained what had happened slowly, choosing his words with caution. This could cost him his job, or in the case that he would have to meet with Olivier, his dignity.

"I see." Roy said, leaning back. "To be honest Ed, I know quite a few people who would do the same, though that doesn't make your decision to fight a group of five men on your own less stupid." He sighed. "Since this happened off the job, I'm not going to write it up. But I am going to send you home for the day without pay, and I'll have to keep Winry off camera until her face heals up. And when someone asks her what happened, I instructed her to point them to you for an explanation."

"I understand." Ed said, and then with great effort added, "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize to me," Roy said, showing him to the door. "Apologize to the reporter whose staying home today because she can't do her job; which is all thanks to you."

Ed bowed his head as he left the office, feeling a mix of irritation and embarrassment.

He called Winry as he got into his car, asking if he could meet with her. To his relief she agreed, and invited him over to her apartment for lunch. Her voice was suspiciously sincere; he thought he might bring something for himself to eat, just in case she poisoned his meal.

* * *

He knocked on the door of her apartment, and heard a distant, "Come in!"

He opened it to find her sitting on her couch watching an old VHS.

"Your food's on the table." She said, avoiding his gaze. She wore a green T-shirt and shorts, with her hair pulled back to reveal that she did in fact, had swollen purple bags surrounding her blonde eyelashes. He realized that this had been the first time he had seen her without make up in the past four years.

She really wasn't so different.

He took his plate of pasta and cautiously went to join her on the couch. Winry had already finished hers, and had it sitting on the coffee table.

Ed quietly ate his pasta and watched the cartoon. It featured a bunny and a wolf that were up to shenanigans. A few parts were actually funny, though most of it was humor made for children.

He finished and placed his plate on top of hers, then went to wash them off in the sink.

"Hey Winry?" he asked, making sure to only speak when the screen faded to black and the cartoon ended.

"Yeah?"

"I'm really sorry about last night." He said. "I acted up."

"It's alright." She said, taking a drink of her water, and still not meeting his eyes.

Ed returned to the couch and sat, leaning against one of the side arms. "Are you sure?"

"Yep." She said, staring at the black screen featured on the television.

"100% positive?"

"You can bet your ass."

"Well," he said, brushing his fingers lightly against his swollen nose. "That was easier than I thought. Why the change of heart? "

Winry pointed the remote at the television, turning it off. "I just came to the conclusion that last night's events were rather idiotic, but it's sweet that you tried to stand up for me."

Ed smirked. "Don't get used to it. That's the last time I do you a favor."

She snorted. "A favor? No. But I suppose it's the thought that counts."

He was glad that she was back to her sarcastic comments; it sure felt better than the tight politeness she had spoken to him with at first.

"I guess it wasn't much of a favor. Our faces are pretty screwed up after all."

"What can I say?" Winry shot him a grin. "Us ugly bastards have to look out for each other."

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Sorry for the hiatus, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Just so you know, things are going to start to get a little more intense from here on out. The language will be less than PG and there will probably be a lot of violence, though I'll do my best to keep it at a T rating.**

 **This chapter was all about showing Ed and Winry's personality, that is, how they clash. Both being rather stubborn and not wanting to admit defeat. Also, protective Ed is the best Ed.**

 **Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think.**

 **Quiteokayish.**


	3. Chapter 3

The months that followed were distinctly boring. Ed and Winry passed the time by practicing their editing, and reporting on menial things, some of which had been happening for years (housing developments, animal shelters, school competitions, etc).

Winry was becoming quite proficient at editing, she could hold her own on an hour long show, which was impressive for someone who had only been training for a month or so. The two would provide sarcastic comments every now and again, sometimes at the nearby dispatch radio, sometimes at their own projects, but usually at each other.

"I swear to God." He heard one day, and wheeled his chair out of his bay and into hers.

Winry didn't even look at him.

"With the time this exporting takes I could have edited two packages."

"And still have time to bitch about it?"

She glared at him. "I bitch the perfect amount, thank you very much."

"Ed, stop being a little shit and get back to work." Roy said as he walked by the bay.

"You heard him, Ed." Winry said with a snort.

"You too Winry!" Roy called from down the hall.

The two grinned at each other. Ed was glad that she was getting along with everyone. The first month on the job was always a trial to see how much shit you could take from your coworkers, and Winry was passing with flying colors.

"Hey guys!" Al burst into the bay, interrupting Ed's thoughts.

"You'll never guess."

Ed noticed how widely his brother was grinning.

"Breaking news?"

Al nodded vigorously. "Breaking news!"

Suddenly Roy appeared again, now interested in the activity of the editors.

"There's been a shootout." Al said, shoving a paper with the address and some details scribbled onto it in Winry's hands. "Near the bridge downtown. It happened ten minutes ago."

"Fuck yes." Ed said quietly, getting to his feet in excitement.

"So far no one is dead, just a few gun shots, police are on the scene." Al continued. "If you leave now you can make it for the five o'clock show.

Winry stood and moved past them, in a hurry to gather her things. Meanwhile Ed was booking it down the stairs to grab his camera and equipment. Adrenaline coursed through his veins. It had been years since something like this had happened.

When he made it back to the top of the stairs, he saw Olivier standing in the hall, Winry across from her.

"Ed." The HR director said, "Get over here, I need to talk to you two."

He moved quickly, excited to take off but at the same time not wanting to piss off Olivier.

"I know you've already got this talk, but I think a refresher wouldn't hurt." She told Ed. "You two need to stay where the police tell you to stay, and if they say you need to go, then get the hell out. It's okay if you don't get a perfect shot. We just need a short report from Winry. Leave if at any point you feel unsafe. "

The two nodded. Olivier looked them over for a moment, then turned and went back to her office.

* * *

Ed did his best not to speed as he took off in the company van. Winry sat next to him, muttering a hastily written script to herself. Soon they were approaching the scene of the crime, where a crowd stood, being kept out by caution tape and a few officers.

They got out of the van and moved towards the scene. Ed stopped to set up his camera, and almost didn't notice as Winry continued forward. He was about to call out to her before she stopped in front of an officer and began to speak with him. The camera operator shrugged and dialed in his camera and his earpiece. They still had ten minutes before they were on air.

Winry returned to where Ed stood giving her a questioning look.

"The crime happened two blocks from here." She said, "They just closed us off at the bridge."

"Do you know what happened?" Ed asked.

She nodded eagerly. "A man opened fire. Police are currently pursuing him on foot on the other side of this bridge."

"You better add that to your script." Ed said.

"No shit." She replied under her breath.

There was static in his ear as Roy dialed in. "How are things going over there, Ed?"

"Fine so far." He said. "We're set up and ready to go."

"You're right after the commercial break." Al said. "You've got one minute."

He relayed that to Winry, who preferred to leave her earpiece out when she reported, since it wasn't the best piece of equipment and often picked up static from other channels. She nodded.

"Thirty seconds."

"Fifteen."

"Cue Winry."

The reporter took a quick breath before starting. "Rose, Maes, not much information is available to the public at the moment. All we know is that gunfire was exchanged between two parties, and law enforcement is still pursuing the man who is now attempting to escape on foot. "

Incoherent shouting erupted from on the bridge. Ed peered over the crowd to see a man running at the other side of the canal. He was quickly approaching the bridge. The cops noticed him and immediately let their hands go to their holsters.

Shit.

"Cut back to studio." He said hastily into his mic, making large hand motions to signal that Winry had to wrap.

She gave a quick out tag, and as soon as Ed heard the "Clear" in his ear from Al he moved forward to grab her and pull her back.

"What's going on?" she asked, but was soon silenced as she saw the same man Ed had, except this time he was standing at the apex of the bridge, gun in hand, but not raised.

"Drop your weapon!" an officer shouted while his partner dispersed what was left of the fearful crowd.

The man said nothing, pulling his jacket tighter around him with one hand, his pistol held steady in the other.

"I said put the gun down!" the cop bellowed, his own weapon raised and ready to fire.

The man peered across the now emptying square that sat at the other side of the bridge. His eyes rested on Ed and Winry. The camera operator instinctively pulled her behind him, his hands in fists as adrenaline coursed through him. There was something in the man's look that he couldn't read.

"Ed-" he heard Winry start, but before she could finish her sentence shots rang out. His gaze snapped back to see that the man now lay crumpled on the pavement of the bridge, blood quickly pooling around him. It was much more blood than he had imagined there to be, as if it were attempting to drown him.

"Holy shit." Al said.

He forgot that he had left the camera rolling, everyone in the control room had seen what had occurred.

His ears rang as a policeman started towards them, supposedly to shoo them off as well. Ed didn't need any prompting and was soon unceremoniously scooping up his equipment. Winry grabbed the back pack and the tripod, while Ed held the camera in his a white knuckle grip in one hand, and a bundle of chords that were sure to be a pain in the ass later in his other hand. The two were nearly sprinting as the returned to the van.

Ed's hands shook on the wheel as they drove aimlessly around, probably going at least ten over. Winry was as white as a sheet next to him.

He must have been in autopilot as he drove, considering that he only stopped when he reached the edge of town, where city split with country.

Pulling over, he heaved a steady sigh.

Winry continued gazing forward.

"Are you okay?" he asked finally.

She nodded. "Are you?"

"A little shaken up." He admitted. "Dear God, I didn't expect that."

Taking another deep breath, he turned the van around, heading back into town.

"Roy is going to have a few things to say when we get back." She said. "We should have left as soon as the cleared us."

"He'll give us shit, for sure." Ed responded. "But secretly he's going to be overjoyed that he has that footage. This might up our ratings."

"Fuck." Winry said.

Ed glanced at her, only to see that she was hurriedly wiping tears from her eyes.

He pulled over again, and cautiously asked, "Are you upset?"

"I don't know." Winry responded. "I'm just tearing up. I'm not sad or anything I just-"

"Stress." Ed interjected. Feeling his own anxiety start to ebb away slowly "It's okay to cry, we could have died after all."

She shook her head, continuing to wipe her eyes on her jacket sleeve. "I'm fine, I just need a second."

"I think we both do."

Winry continued to cry softly for the next minute or so. It wasn't accompanied with sobs or loud sniffling. She wasn't sad, after all. It was just her resting her head in her hands as tears dripped down to her chin and on the fabric of her skirt.

Ed was concerned, he was never quite sure of what to do in this situation, and his go to instinct was to continue driving like nothing was happening, but he ignored it, and instead he reached his hand out to rub her back in what he hoped was a soothing manner.

He stared ahead, watching as the streets began to empty with the setting sun. If they didn't get back to the station soon, Al and the rest of the newsroom would surely be worried.

As if she were having the same thought, Winry sat up slowly, her eyes now dry, and her cheeks a little red.

"Sorry." She said, looking out the window.

"Don't worry about it." Ed said, putting the car in drive and heading towards the station.

* * *

Roy wouldn't let them do any work, only allowing Ed to offload the video. He ordered the two of them to head home as soon as he was done, explaining that editing could be saved for the next day.

"But we need to have this ready for the show tomorrow-" Ed started, but Roy put a hand up.

"Come in a few hours early then. Your shift is over in a half hour anyways, just go home."

"We got over seven hundred views tonight." Maes said, coming to join them where they stood bickering in the hallway. Winry was sitting next to Al on the breakroom couch, both looking rather stiff.

"We haven't had breaking news for a long time. This will be great for views."

"Someone died." Al said from where he was sitting. Ed expected as much from his younger brother, who was the king of pacifists.

"And that was a tragedy." Roy said. "But that doesn't mean we can't take advantage of it. This might save our station."

"We always report these subjects with respect." Maes added. "We're just doing our job the best we can."

"We're exploiting something terrible." The producer said softly.

Roy sighed. "Everyone just go home for now. I think we're all a little stressed out."

Al glared at the wall opposite of them, and Ed was sure a storm would come the minute the two of them were alone.

The trio was quiet as they went out to the parking lot. Ed didn't even ask if Al wanted to join them as he walked Winry to the station, he was sure his brother wasn't in the mood social contact.

They had gotten to the station about twenty minutes early, So the two took a seat on the wooden bench that sat up against one of the metal pillars holding the canopy above the station in place.

Winry sat with her hands in her lap, her gaze on her feet. Ed was a little more spread out on the bench, putting an arm on either side of him, one of which was close to touching her back. Normally Ed shied away from human touch, but at this point he wouldn't mind at all if someone gave him a hug. He felt positively empty as he remembered the man's face.

The look in his eyes was that of terror, Ed realized now. The man must have been frozen with fear; why else would he hold his weapon at his side instead of dropping it, or at least making use of it?

"Are you going to be alright?" Winry asked, and Ed realized he had been staring in silence for several minutes.

"Yes." He responded automatically, and she nodded, knowing that he was understating his emotions at the time, but having little motivation to try to get him to open up.

The train arrived a few minutes later, and they both stood. The two had an awkward moment of silence before Winry said:

"Call me if you need anything, alright Ed?"

"Yeah," he said. "You too."

He returned to the car slowly, not ready for the rant that would surely come from Al.

The camera operator hummed to himself. He should have been at least mildly excited, since the station's rating would surely go up. Perhaps this might give them the boost they needed to stay in business. He should have been excited for the opportunities this would provide.

But he wasn't.

* * *

Ed was only just helping Winry finish her package of the previous day's shooting when Al appeared behind them again.

"Breaking news."

They turned, feeling a little wary. There was a noticeable difference in their reaction to this announcement and the last one.

"Basque Grand, the head of the police department, was found dead in his home this morning. They suspect arsenic poisoning. "

"Is the package finished?" Roy asked as he appeared out of seemingly nowhere, something he seemed to be doing more and more often.

"Yeah." Ed said slowly.

"I want you two to go gather some footage from the police station. Get a few interviews if you can, nothing live right now. We may go live for the nine o'clock show if things get slow."

The two of then nodded, finding quiet relief in that this shoot didn't pose any immediate danger. They were still rather shaken from yesterday's events, and with his own thoughts plaguing him, as well as Al's relentless ranting, Ed had gotten little sleep the night before.

* * *

"It's strange." Winry muttered from the where she sat buckled next to him in the station's van.

"What is?"

"Well," She started, "If they only found Grand this morning, how were they able to trace his cause of death to arsenic so quickly? We got the news at three o'clock that same day. That's pretty quick."

Ed nodded slowly. "Now that you say it, they took no time in releasing a diagnosis."

"Even if technology was that efficient, you think they'd take a while to investigate before releasing a press report that he was murdered."

"To be fair, it is arsenic, there's not a huge chance that it _wasn't_ murder."

"I know." Winry said, "It just seems strange to me is all."

Ed grunted. "Just be thankful we aren't watching someone die today."

"Yeah," She agreed softly. "At least there's that."

* * *

Ed woke up the next morning to his wall phone ringing obnoxiously. His grogginess nearly convinced him to ignore it and go back to bed , but if he did so and it turned out to be Roy or Winry, he'd be in for an ass kicking.

He sluggishly tumbled out of bed and answered the phone.

"Elric residence."

"This is Roy." A deep voice said from the other side of the line. "I need you and Al to come in a little early today, there was a shooting at the police station on the west side of town."

Ed blinked. "Wait, what?"

"You heard me. Winry will be coming in at twelve. I expect to see you and your brother there as well."

He hung up the phone a little harshly. It was his day off, after all.

Another shooting? He sat down at the wooden table. There had been a large crime reported every day for the last three days. That was insane. This was more than they got in all of his time working at the station. He wondered what the hell was going on.

Roy was obviously excited. He'd milk this opportunity for all it was worth. The director would do nearly anything to keep the station running.

Ed and Winry were soon out on the scene, though this time the shooting had long since passed, and all that remained was police tape and chalk drawn body outlines. Six officers had died. He was beginning to wonder if this was a trend. It certainly appeared so.

The live shot went smoothly enough, though both were a little eager to get out of there, lest something like the other day occur again.

"I told you." Ed muttered as they returned to the station.

"Hm?" Winry asked, turning her gaze from the window to him.

"You said you wished there was more crime so that we had more to report on. I told you to be careful what you wish for."

She rolled her eyes. "Thanks, Mr. Told-you-so."

"Always a pleasure."

The drove on in silence for a few more minutes, before Winry suddenly sat up straighter, her eyes trained on an ice cream parlor they were about to pass.

"Hey Ed…"

He knew what she was going to say before she even said it. "No."

"It's not like I'm going to make you pay!"

"We have to get back to the station."

Winry frowned. "Do you really want to go back right now? You still have a few hours before the nine o'clock airs, and we _are_ technically on our dinner break."

"I said no."

"How about this: We get ice cream, I buy an extra tub of vanilla, and then I can make apple pie this week to go with it?"

Ed's foot gently tapped the brake pedal. His pride said no but every other ounce of him said yes.

Winry gazed up at him, grinning. "Please Ed?"

* * *

He ordered a sundae, while she got a bowl of cookies and cream and a tub of vanilla to go. They sat down at a wall facing booth and ate their ice cream in silence, Winry occasionally humming to herself in satisfaction.

"God bless you Edward Elric, I could definitely use a pick me up."

Ed smiled to himself. He felt the same.

Never having quite the sweet tooth, it have been months since he last had ice cream. I forgot how good it actually was.

When they finished their dessert the two simply sat back in their chairs, not quick to do much of anything. Winry propped her foot up on his knee, crossing her arms behind her head. Ed meanwhile rested both of his hands on his stomach. He hadn't felt this satisfied in a while.

"You know Winry, they should really be considering us for employee of the month."

"A raise would be nice." The reporter said. "A nap would be too."

* * *

 **A/N not much to say here. Expect angst and violence in coming chapters.**

 **As always, let me know what you thought!**


	4. Chapter 4

As time passed the station became more optimistic, which might have seemed strange with the recent and strong tide of crime in the city, but that only meant that more people had an interest in current events, which in turn resulting in increased viewership.

Their views, which were at about 300 a night, now surpassed 1000. On his days off (which were few given the circumstances) Ed would see the news playing on any public television set. The station was cautiously excited, knowing that their viewership could all just be a phase, one that would pass as time went on and the crime rate slowed.

But that's just it, it didn't.

In the month following the initial shooting there were twelve murders, half of which took place in one mass shooting at the civic center, three where random killings in the street, two were a pair of cops shot dead from gang related activity, and the last was Basque Grand, the chief of police who died of cyanide poisoning.

The police were working surprisingly well with the station, giving out almost any detail they asked for and releasing a press report within three to four hours of each crime. They were always polite and were open to interviews. Ed was amazed, since the last time they had covered anything regarding the police they were quickly put on hold and usually left with few specifics about the case.

Ed and Winry had little time on their own, getting called in every day for two weeks straight, until finally Riza made Roy give them a few days off. They could only enjoy one before another shooting occurred.

The duo were doing their absolute best to remain positive. They often sang obnoxiously with the radio, and went out for food at least once a week. Ed knew that Winry was quietly upset with the recent happenings, as he was sure that she knew he was as well. Neither mentioned it however, focusing instead on their growing demands as a reporter team and trying to remain optimistic in light of recent troubles.

The month that followed was just as dreadful as the last, only worse. There was an actual bombing in the first week, which resulted in thirty people dead. When they went to get footage the police actually let them past the tape. They soon wished they hadn't though, as they came across the burned corpses and gore that smeared the pavement from the bomb. Winry was white as sheet the entire time, and threw up the moment they were out of the public eye.

"God dammit." She grumbled as they drove off after the event.

"You're fine Winry, to be honest anyone would be sick after seeing that."

She rubbed her neck with the palm of her hand. "Whatever."

"Would you hate on me if I had thrown up?" he asked.

"No," she said with a huff, staring out the window.

Ed nodded. "Then shut the fuck up."

A few more moments passed in silence, before Winry started:

"I'm sorry if this sounds bitchy, but my job isn't exactly easy Ed."

"I know it isn't." The camera man said, glancing at her. She was giving him a hard look. "I'm not trying to mess with you, I'm honestly telling you that it's okay to be upset."

"I'm not upset." Winry defended.

"You seem to-."

"Well I'm not- okay?" she said harshly, then sighed. "I'm just…tired."

Her voice was shaking, and Ed didn't put much thought into reaching over and grabbing her hand.

It didn't start out as the most intimate form of hand holding, seeing as he was still wearing his gloves and his grip was suffocating as it enveloped hers. Winry paused, then sighed loudly.

"You give me a headache."

He was about to spit out a retort before she removed her hand from his grip, then gently pulled off his glove. She laced their fingers together, then pulled so their hands rested on her thigh.

"This is how you're supposed to hold hands."

Her hand was warm and dry, an appealing alternative to the itchy glove. She sighed next to him, and he smiled, knowing that he was blushing.

* * *

The week following the bombing Roy called a meeting. He seemed particularly excited this time as the crew filed in, and didn't even wait for them to sit before he started off.

"As you know, recent circumstances have caused our viewership to triple." The director said. "Al and I have gone over the statistics and spoken with sponsors. If we can manage to keep our ratings high, and hold at least half of the viewership we have now, we can keep the station open for the foreseeable future."

Ed's heart sped up. Maes was grinning widely and Ling was hurriedly chatting with Lan Fan. Rose stared at the wall blankly, and Roy was tapping his fingers on the table as he waited for the room to still. Riza sat next to him, quietly surveying their reactions.

"We have had four companies offer us sponsorship, and we plan to take up the offer with at least three of those four. I can see the station staying open until at least a year from now. "

At least three people in the room cheered. Ed turned to where Winry sat beside him, and nearly fell out of his chair with how hard she hit him with a hug. He returned it awkwardly. Even in the best of times he wasn't quite sure of how to show affection.

"But-" Al cut in, and Winry pulled back from him, the room returning to a quiet state. "Let's not forget _why_ we are able to remain in business. Several people have died in these past months. We need to respect them."

The mood quickly took a solemn turn after that, and the crew humbly went back to work.

* * *

Though Ed and Winry loved to go out to eat, they soon began to feel it on their wallets, and so decided to schedule their restaurant visits for once a month, sharing meals on the weekends at each other's houses instead.

This Saturday it was Winry's house, and she had promised to teach him how to make the stew that Pinako had brought. He brought what ingredients she had listed for him, though his nose wrinkled when he realized that millk was one of those items.

He put the milk at the back of the fridge, hoping that she would forget, and then went about his business like normal.

Winry sat on the counter next to where he stood making the stew, her hair had long ago fallen out of the polished bun it had been in when they were reporting earlier that morning. She had also traded her blue blazer and slacks for a loose shirt and a pair of sweatpants. Ed wondered what it must have been like to dress formal every day, seeing as his attire was usually jeans and the red sweater he wore nearly every day.

She handed him a ripe tomato and a knife. "Mince this."

He looked at her. "Mince?"

"Yes, mince. That means to cut things into little pieces."

"I'll cut _you_ into little pieces." He responded quickly.

She rolled her eyes. "And Roy would still make me come to work."

He snorted at that, then moved to the table to cut the tomato. He wasn't exactly sure of what he's doing, but Winry didn't correct him, so he assumed he was doing alright.

"You know, Ed," she said as he went to put the pieces of tomato into the broth that sat on the stove. "You've forgotten the milk."

He stilled. "You didn't say anything about milk."

"It was the first thing I put on the list."

"We can go without it though- right?"

Winry rolled her eyes. "God Ed, you won't even be able to taste it once it's cooked."

"Then why even add it?"

"Why not?" she asked. "You should stop being such a pussy."

With an exaggerated sigh he moved to the fridge to take out the milk. "Fuck you Winry, and your beautiful fucking face."

"What did you just say?"

Ed froze. The tone in her voice was unmistakably serious. Had he pushed it too far this time?

"I said fuck you…" he let out, slowly standing up.

"And what after that?"

Ed looked away. "That was all I said."

Winry jumped off the counter and approached him. "It was not!"

"Look can we just make the stew-" he moved to go around her but she stepped to the side to mirror him.

"Edward Elric."

"I said fuck you."

She leaned closer to him. "And?"

He sighed, she was insane.

"And your beautiful fucking face."

Of all the things he expected, her grabbing his shirt and pulling him into a kiss was not at the top of the list.

Not that he was complaining, though.

For a solid three seconds he stared dumbly at her as she pressed her lips to his. Then as he closed his eyes and began to kiss back. Her hand was gripping his shoulder, and he supposed he was content with where his rested on the back of her head. It was a nice way to end a long day, he thought, in a warm apartment with dinner on the stove, and kissing Winry of all people.

Until now, he didn't realize how much he wanted this. He wondered how long he had been waiting for it to happen.

* * *

When Ed was twenty one, there were a lot of things he saw himself doing in coming year. Waking up next to his childhood friend in her apartment was not one of them.

That being said, he didn't mind in the slightest.

"You really need to get over your cuddling problem." Was the first thing she said when he cracked open an eye.

"What?"

"You came pretty close to nearly smothering me last night. I've choked on your hair a couple of times too." She added, sitting up and stretching. "I can see why you do it though, you don't exactly get human contact on a regular basis, at least that's what I gather from the way you were kissing me last night."

Ed glared up at her. "I'm a damn good kisser. Admit it."

"Yeah, you are." Winry said, "But only after at least an entire minute of me trying to convince you to kiss back."

Ed looked at the wall, eyebrows knitted. He knew their favorite activity was banter, but it was a little premature considering the previous night's activities.

"Hey." She crawled over to him, and put a hand on his chest, leaning down to touch their lips together lightly. "I'm only joking Ed. I had a fantastic time."

He covered her hand with his, grinning. "Me too."

She laid down next to him, resting her head on his shoulder, and even though they had gotten a full night's rest, the week ahead of them was surely going to be hectic, and the two took advantage of not having to be subject to the winter's cold.

Well, they tried to at least, but as soon as Ed felt like he was going to fall asleep, the phone started to ring.

Winry groaned loudly and began to sit up, but pulled her back down. "Don't ruin the moment." He mumbled.

They let the phone ring out, but to their displeasure it resumed only a few minutes after.

Ed stood this time, mumbling something about being a gentleman while he stumbled to answer the phone.

"Hello?"

"I knew it!" Al shouted at the other side of the line.

Ed swore quietly.

"You spent the night at Winry's didn't you?"

"Maybe." He said through gritted teeth, knowing full well that Al would be pestering him about this for at least the next month.

"About time." He responded. "We'll discuss this later. The reason I called was to remind you of grocery duty."

Ed audibly groaned.

"See you later!" and then he paused before adding "Congrats."

* * *

Winry was called in for a meeting, so Ed took it as their cue to split up. Of course, they were acting normal around each other, as best friends do. The only thing out of the ordinary was how Winry kissed him on the cheek before saying goodbye. He was still blushing as he went to the grocery store.

Ed picked up the usual, toilet paper, cleaning supplies, and a disturbing amount of microwaveable food. He spent the entire way home coming up with answers to the question's Al would surely ask.

"Yes, it was fun."

"No, I will not give you details."

"Of course we were safe."

"That's none of your business."

" _That's_ none of your business."

"Fuck off."

He rehearsed his answers as he pulled into the parking lot, and walked up the stairs carrying at least six shopping bags, because those who took two trips were pitiful in his mind.

Ed nearly stumbled into one of his neighbors, who was walking rather quickly. He apologized when they hit shoulders, but she didn't even look back. He wondered why before turning the corner. There he saw the Clay family pulling their suitcases down the hall.

"Going on a trip?" Ed asked.

That was when Lin, the mother of the family, burst into tears. Her husband put an arm around her shoulder, and without a word the family moved past him.

He didn't want to bother them, so he continued on his way, and when he got into his apartment and set down his bags he asked Al: "Why are the Clay's leaving?"

His brother, who sat on the couch reading a book, shrugged. "Probably because they've been kicked out."

Ed looked up from where he was storing cleaning supplies under the sink. "Why would they be kicked out?"

Al glanced his way. "Because they're Ishvalans."

"I don't get it." Ed said. "What does that have to do with anything?"

Closing his book, Al got up to join him in the kitchen.

"For someone who works in news, you don't know a whole lot about what's going on."

"What are you talking about?"

His brother reached into the plastic bag and began to transfer the frozen burritos from it to the freezer. "I don't know how you haven't noticed, but with only one exception, every major crime in the past few months has been committed by someone of Ishvalan descent."

Ed blinked. "I never noticed that."

"You'd be surprised at how many people think they're terrorists." Al 's eyebrows knitted together in frustration. "We've had quite a few calls from people wanting us to cover them getting kicked out of their house, losing their job, getting their car vandalized, all because they're Ishvalan. It's sick what people do when they're scared."

The camera man grunted. He didn't think much of the criminal's they covered, but now that his brother mentioned it, he started to realize that most of them were Ishvalan, with the exception of a shooting a few weeks back, which was done by a Amestrian who was under the influence of quite a few drugs.

"On that lovely note, how was Winry?"

Ed groaned. "I don't want to talk about it."

"That bad?"

"No, no no, it was great." Ed said hurriedly. "I just don't think this is an appropriate conversation to have with your brother."

"I was just wondering, Ed." Al said with a frown. "You guys used protection though, right?"

"What, you're not in a hurry to be an uncle?" he grinned.

"No, not really, considering that your kid would be a huge twat."

"And your kid would be just as much of a little bitch as you are."

Al chuckled. "Ooo, you got me. If only your camera skills were as good as your insults."

Ed punched his arm lightly. "You can shut up."

A few moments of silence passed as the brothers organized their groceries before Al spoke again:

"So are you and Winry together now?"

Ed stood up straight, gazing at the cabinet in front of him.

"Don't tell me you haven't discussed this with her!" Al said, coming to stand in front of him. "You guys had _sex_ for god's sake."

"It might have just been casual."

He shook his head. "Nothing is casual for you Ed. You're the biggest drama queen I know."

"Thanks." He said, going to the fridge to get a drink.

"You can't just avoid this. Give it a few days and one of you is bound to instigate a relationship. I've know you guys since birth, and neither of you can just brush these things off." Al rubbed his temples. "I mean, Jesus, you should have at least _thought_ of this."

"I didn't." Ed said. "But maybe it's because… I don't know." He rubbed his neck. "I feel like we've always been in a relationship. Just sometimes we forget and act like friends instead."

"That's some poetic shit right there." Al said.

"Like that?" he asked, sitting down at the table. "I'm going to write a book."

The producer joined him at the table. "I always knew you two would get married."

Ed nearly spit out his drink. " _Married?"_

"Oh no Ed, not for a long while." Al said. "But when it does happen- and it will- I get to choose the cake, alright?"

"Fuck you."

* * *

A couple of weeks passed with what had become an average amount of crimes. Ed and Winry were deeply troubled by the events, but neither really spoke about it, instead opting to discuss politics or tell stories as they drove around town, sometimes stopping to get food, or on an occasion that was becoming more frequent, make out.

For their job's sakes, neither brought their relationship into the workplace. Treating each other with the same bitter comments and sarcastic compliments that they had always done- and with that they weren't found out. Although Al occasionally flashed Ed a knowing grin when he was walking with Winry. Things seemed to be going so well.

War was declared on Ishval that Friday.

It came out of nowhere. Of course people knew that there was something wrong, but nobody thought it was drastic enough to escalate to war, especially within the span of a few months.

Winry and Ed covered the press conference, where Fuhrer Bradely revealed that the recent bout of crime was committed by agents of the Ishvalan military, and that Amestris has already tried to solve this in a peaceful manner, only to have it spat back at them.

"There will be a draft." He said, a sentence which made Ed shiver.

A few weeks came and went, the entire time the Elric brothers were anxious to check their mail. On the Wednesday of the third week Ed and Winry were sent out to cover a class of school children that were sending out letters to the first draft of soldiers. On the way back to the station, Winry said something that caused Ed's blood pressure to rise.

"We should go and report in Ishval. It would be cool to get some coverage of the war."

He looked at her in shock. "What do you mean? That's way too dangerous."

"How would you know?" she asked, "How would anyone know? All we get is the military reports. Imagine if we could actually document what was happening on video."

"That would be cool, I'll admit." Ed said, gathering his thoughts as they came to a red light. "But you can't go."

"But what if we got permission from Roy? Then we could-"

"Winry." Ed interrupted her. "What you're suggesting isn't safe."

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Well don't come then, if you're so afraid."

He could tell she was getting angry, so at this point he braked and pulled into the parking lot of a gas station. "Winry."

"What?" she asked defensively. "Do you doubt my reporting skills? You don't think I can take care of myself?"

She continued to rant for a minute or so, and Ed let her, knowing that she probably needed it.

"Do you know how frustrating it is to see all of these bad things happening and I can't do anything about them? And the one time I suggest something that might actually make a difference you shut me down. Why don't you believe in me?"

"Winry." He repeated her name, softly and firmly. "Listen to me. We're on a completely different page here."

She looked him up and down. "I can see that."

"If you can somehow convince Roy to let you cover Ishval, don't think for a second that I wouldn't be one step behind you. I trust you to do the right thing, and if this is what you think is right, then I'll support you in that."

She said nothing, and he took that as his cue to continue.

"But this has got to be a two way thing. You have to support me too. You need to consider what I have to say so we can compromise." He placed a hand on her shoulder, and took as a good sign when she grabbed it and held it with her own.

"What I'm asking is that you don't go to Ishval. Not because I think you're a bad reporter, or you're weak, but because I'm don't know how to handle a gun, and neither do you. How can we look out for each other? I can't help you if something goes downhill, and you can't help me either."

She nodded, and with a low sigh said: "I just- I want to do something to help. I've been watching all of these things happen around me and there's nothing I can do. I want the people to be informed, because that's what I can do to contribute."

He could tell she was upset, even though she wasn't crying her voice was remarkably quiet, and she was avoiding eye contact. He pulled her into a tight hug from where she sat opposite of him.

"There's only two of us Winry, we can't save the world."

"We'll be damned if we don't try."

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Hey yall, this took a long time to type up, and I'm hoping I've been doing their relationship right so far. I really love these two together.**

 **Anyways, things will be getting much darker from here on out. The next chapter is going to be full of angst, so beware.**

 **Please review and let me know what you thought, I work very hard to write these, so any comments are appreciated.**

 **Thanks!**

 **Quiteokayish**


	5. Chapter 5

Though he wouldn't admit it, Ed was relieved when Roy shot down Winry's idea of going to Ishval.

"I don't care if you think we need to be more involved," he had said as she stood with her arms crossed stubbornly against her chest. "Getting yourself killed isn't the way to do it. It's never a reporters' job to die for a story."

"But Roy, this story is huge!" she argued. "We need to have more footage of the war-"

"What we need is a reporter who is a little less nosy, and a little more willing to obey her superiors." he laced his fingers together as he leaned back in his chair. "I've told you no. Now stop acting like a child and go find something to report on."

Ed could tell she was all fire when Winry stormed past him. He promptly decided to avoid her for a while, knowing full well what became of those at the brunt of her rage.

"Thanks." He said as he took a seat opposite of the director. "I kept trying to tell her no. She wouldn't listen. "

Roy pinched the bridge of his nose. "I know what she's trying to do. And what's so frustrating is that I actually want her to do it." He sighed loudly. "I would love to have live coverage of Ishval. The ambitious side of me wants to go there myself right now. But who knows what could happen if she got involved."

Ed smirked. "As big of an asshole as you are, you still aren't entirely sold on letting people die for your business. How sweet."

"She has talent." Roy said. "And I know she would do a great job covering it. Ratings would go up for sure. But my conscious won't rest if I send her over there." He paused, "And I have a feeling you wouldn't be too happy about it."

The camera operator sat up in his chair. "Well yeah. It would be way too dangerous."

The man in front of him raised an eyebrow.

Ed gulped. "What?"

Roy glanced at the door, and Ed took it as a cue to shut it. The room was considerably more orange without the hallway light.

"What's going on with you and Winry?"

He scratched the back of his neck. "Is it really that obvious?"

"I mean, if you want I could tell you how many times I've seen you two kiss when you think nobody is looking."

Ed groaned. There wasn't a way to dig himself out of this one.

"Yeah, we're a couple." He said. "I hope you're okay with that."

"I couldn't care less." Roy responded. "But understand me when I say I'm not afraid to fire either of you if this interferes with your work ethic."

Ed nodded. "It won't."

"I believe you." He said, gesturing to the door. Ed wasn't wasting anytime getting out of that situation, and was soon walking at a fast pace towards his editing bay, his ears red from the confrontation that had just occurred.

Winry's bay was parallel to his, and Ed was just waiting for her to pop in and proceed to rant about her current situation. However, to his disbelief, she never did, and remained nearly silent for the rest of her shift.

By the time she did rant to him, he was fully prepared, and was able to endure the twenty minute drive to her place with a surprising amount of ease as she raged.

"I mean, I can see where he's coming from. But he didn't have to be such an ass about it." She said as they neared her house.

"Now that I can agree with." Ed said. "The name calling was a little overkill."

She released a heavy sigh, it seemed that she had finally ran out of things to say, which was a rare occurrence when she was this angry.

"I knew he'd say no before I even went to ask him." She said as they got out of the car and Ed came around to walk her to her apartment. "I just had to try and do something."

"You just need to do what you can." Ed said, knowing that he wasn't being helpful, but trying to be nonetheless. "You're already working on a lot of different projects. I think it's really great that your putting this much work into it."

"You know me." She said, grinning. "Go big or go home."

As they got to the door Winry was quick to unlock it and enter, kicking off her shoes immediately. All the while Ed stood in the doorway, unsure of what to do.

She seemed to notice that he hadn't moved and looked back at him. "Are you going to come in?"

"It's getting pretty late."

Winry looked away, a small frown on her features. "You can go home if you want. I just wouldn't mind if you stayed the night either. But that's up to you. "

Ed smiled as he entered the room and shut the door behind him. It wasn't like he didn't already have a few sets of clothes that he had left here that he could use the next day.

* * *

He made his regular trip to the mail slots before heading up to his apartment. The camera operator was in a good mood, and hummed to himself as he took the bundle of envelopes and made his way upstairs.

Ed swung open the door to announce he had arrived, leaving the mail on the counter for Al to search through, the younger being the one who always did the bills.

Al appeared from his bedroom with a cup of coffee in his hand. He sat at the table and began to sort; all the while Ed stooped over the fridge trying to decide if he preferred apple or orange juice.

"You know, you could just move in with her." Al said. "It saves you the trouble of coming back here all the time."

Ed glanced at him. "I could, but who's going to help you pay rent?"

"I'll just invite Mae to move in. We can turn your bedroom into a man cave."

The older brother finally decided on orange juice, and as he went to grab a cup he said, "Are you and Mae really that serious?"

"Nah." Al said, letting out an obnoxious yawn. "I mean, I like her and all, but it's going to take a long time to develop into anything."

Ed grunted. "Your kids would be cute."

"And I wouldn't let you anywhere near them."

They settled into silence, the only noise in the room being the paper that shifted as Al went over the bills, and the occasional sipping of coffee or orange juice.

But suddenly the shifting of papers stopped, and was followed with a soft, "Ed…"

The camera man looked up, and was soon worried upon seeing his brother shaking. His amber eyes were wide as they went over the piece of parchment that he held.

He felt like his ribcage was caving in. He knew what it was before he even read the letter. As he snatched it from Al's hands and went over the first sentence, he could nearly hear his own heartbeat.

 _Edward Elric_

 _You are hereby called to serve in his majesty's royal military. You will be leaving April 20_ _th_ _. Report to…._

He stopped reading it there, repeating the first sentence to himself for what felt like an eternity.

* * *

Ed was unsure of what to say when he knocked Roy' s office door. The director looked up from where he sat having a conversation with Riza. Normally he would shoot Ed a scathing comment, but he seemed to know something was off.

"Um- is it okay if Riza isn't here?" the cameraman asked as he entered the office. "I need to talk to you in private."

The director and the editor shared a glance, the later leaving soon after, shutting the door gently behind her.

Ed cleared his throat. "So," he started, not entirely sure of what to say. "I've been drafted."

Roy was quiet for a few moments, and then said: "Lan Fan got a letter in the mail this morning as well. It looks like we'll be losing both of you."

The blond felt his throat constrict. This entire situation left him feeling shaken throughout.

"Don't worry though; your job will be here when you get back. Your duty is to your country Ed."

He nodded, not trusting his voice to betray the fear he was feeling.

"What did Winry say?" Roy asked, "Or have you told her?"

Ed looked away.

The man in front of him heaved a heavy sigh. "You need to tell her Ed, you're leaving in a week."

"I know."

"You go ahead and take today off," the director said. "I think you could use a little bit of a break."

Ed thanked him quickly, and was soon out of his office and heading towards the nearest wall phone. He slowly dialed Winry's number, and then leaned against the wall as he waited.

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's me." Ed said quietly. "Is it okay if I come over?"

There was a pause on the other line. "Of course you can. You don't need to call in advance."

"Thanks." He said. "I'll be there in an hour."

"Ed-"she asked before he could hang up on her. "Are you okay? You sound sick."

"I'm fine." He lied. "I'll see you soon."

He hadn't planned to go into the studio at all that day, but upon the news that Roy gave him, Ed didn't have much hesitation in heading down the corridor and onto the set that Ling and Lan Fan were cleaning.

He cleared his throat. How did you go about telling someone this? 'Oh by the way it looks like I've been drafted too. That's pretty cool I guess.'

"I got a draft letter." He said lamely.

Lan Fan stood up straighter. "Which division are you in?"

"3-16." He said. "And you?"

She let out a breath. "3-16 too. I leave next Saturday."

Ed smiled. It was a small relief to know that there would be a familiar face in all of this, even though he never really spoke to Lan Fan, at least he wouldn't be completely alone.

"I guess I'll see you then." He said, glancing at Ling who, for once in his entire career, didn't add to a conversation. The man simply swept the studio floor, not even looking in their direction.

* * *

With that small victory in hand, Ed decided that with nearly an hour to go before seeing Winry, he'd stop by his home to check on Al.

When his younger brother had first found out, he was silent for the entire day. Ed knew he was upset, and it didn't exactly help his own state of mind. But now things were quite the opposite. He came home to Al moving vigorously around the house, going through boxes and bags to gather things he thought Ed might need.

Ed let him carry on; and upon mentioning that he was going to Winry's to talk to her, Al gave him a severe look.

"She's not going to be happy."

He shrugged. "So far nobody is."

Though Ed put on the bravest face he could throughout the day, he was exhausted when he arrived at Winry's apartment. The anxiety and dread that had filled him throughout the day were now weighing him down in an almost physical way.

He quietly let himself into her apartment, taking off his shoes and leaving his keys on her kitchen table. Winry was nowhere in sight.

"Hello?"

"Is that you Ed?" he heard her voice from down the hall, and soon Winry emerged, wearing only a sports bra and sweats, obviously having been tinkering with something judging by the grease smudges on her face.

When she met his eyes she was quick to put down her wrench and cross the room to where he stood with his arms sitting nervously behind his back.

"What wrong?" she asked, touching the back of her hand to his cheek. "Are you sick? Did something happen?"

"Winry, I've been drafted."

She froze, her face becoming pale. "Is that so?"

"I leave in a week."

He wasn't sure what to expect, though her crying was one thing he was sure would be in the mix. She clapped a hand over her mouth. Her shoulders shaking, she soon began to tear up.

Ed's heart felt as if it had dropped. He quickly pulled her into a hug, holding her tighter with every sob that escaped her.

"Hey…" he said softly, "Save those tears for when I get back."

To his relief, she didn't cry for long, and it only took a few minutes her sobs diminished into quiet sniffles. "I don't know why you're upset." Ed said, "I'll come back just fine."

"I will kick your ass if you don't." she mumbled against his shirt.

The rest of the day was spent with Ed lying on her bed as Winry fumbled with the automail on her desk. He could tell she couldn't focus too much, but didn't say anything. An hour later she joined him on the bed, and fully clothed with the lights still on, they both fell asleep.

* * *

Ed was sure that the following week was both the shortest and longest week of his life. He spent what time he could working with a camera, knowing that he wouldn't be able to do much of it once he was in Ishval. He took Al out to dinner, but the event unsurprisingly ended with both of them getting drunk off their asses, and being taken home by a grumbling Winry.

Before he knew it Ed found himself at the goodbye party that the station had set up for Lan Fan and him. It was awkward to say the least, though the team did make a valiant effort to keep the atmosphere positive. The two were bound to leave that next morning.

The stories and jokes that were told made his heart feel a little lighter, and before Ed knew it the party was dispersing. He shared a hug with most everyone, and even Olivier offered the two her best wishes.

As Al and Winry were just about ready to leave, Ed turned to Roy and Riza.

"I'll see you guys later." He said. "And just in case I decide to find a job that's better than this shit hole, I should probably say thank you."

Riza offered him a genuine smile. "We'll miss you."

Roy nodded in agreement (though he would never admit such a thing). "Stay safe. Get your ass home as soon as you can."

He glanced back over his shoulder at where Al and Winry stood in the doorway speaking with Rose.

"Look after them."

"Don't worry, Ed." Riza said. "Just watch yourself out there."

He offered them a cheesy grin before turning to follow Winry and Al out into the parking lot. The drive home was filled with a comfortable quiet, the radio softly drowning out the sounds of the road.

When they got home, they had a simple dinner. The three of them sat at the table exchanging light conversation and quiet remarks. There wasn't any awkward silence. They were too familiar with each other for that to exist.

Ed cleared his throat as they began to finish off their meal. "You two need to look out for each other." He said. "Who knows what shit will go down when I'm not here to babysit you."

They all let out a laugh at that, and soon parted ways for bed. Ed and Winry had a quiet night in, neither really sleeping as they just lay in bed holding each other. They had already decided that Winry wouldn't bother taking off work the next day. It would only make it harder on them if she was there when he boarded the train.

The morning was quiet as Al slept in, and the two of them stood leaning against the kitchen counters as they sipped their coffee, conversing about random things and telling inappropriate jokes, as well as a partaking in a great deal of kissing.

Ed wouldn't want it any other way.

* * *

The ride to the train station was quiet; the two brothers were lost in their own thoughts, which were loud enough to drown out the sound of the Ed's pack rolling around in the trunk.

The train station wasn't bustling with activity; in fact there were few people in sight at all. Ed managed to swing his pack over his shoulder, though it's heavy with all the things Al had tried to cram in there.

"You better not get married while I'm away." Ed said as they stood waiting for the train. "I have my best man speech written out and everything."

Al laughed. "Who said I was making you my best man?"

"Like you'd have anyone else do it." Ed said, rolling his eyes.

A minute of silence passed between them. The only sounds were that of trains leaving the station, and some on their way in.

"Hey Ed?"

"Yeah?"

"Mom would be really proud of you right now."

The blond was struck by the statement. He smiled softly. "She'd be proud of you too Al."

The train arrived all too soon. Ed thought he would be ready to leave. He had been mentally preparing for it all week. But when he looked back at Al, who stood smiling at him with teary eyes, he realized that was in no way ready to board the train.

Yet he had to do it anyways.

They didn't need to say anything; the brothers simply exchanged a tight hug. The last thing he saw before the train doors closed was Al waving at him.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Hey guys, I'm so sorry for the wait on this one. I'll do better in the future.**

 **Please let me know what you thought? I'm testing the waters right now. I have a pretty good idea of where to take this plot, but any input would be much appreciated.**

 **Thanks Y'all**

 **Quiteokayish**


	6. Chapter 6

Ishvalan nights were cold.

Falman snored next to him, while Brosh lay on the other side, mumbling in his sleep. The men's tent was always uncomfortable, a little too crowded in nearly every way. It didn't help that Kimblee slept sitting up.

"The Crimson Soldier" was what he was known as. His body count was surprisingly high, though Ed suspected it was because he was the only one counting. Normal soldiers were not interested in remembering those they killed.

Kimblee was different.

Upon first meeting him, Ed couldn't find anything to dislike. The second lieutenant was polite and orderly, if even a little dry. It was only after spending a month in the desert with him that Ed began to see his true nature.

It began with little things, like unabashedly shit talking higher ranking officers. It then continued with his blatant disrespect for lieutenant colonel Ross and all of the women on his team in general. Kimblee taunted Paninya and Lan Fan mercilessly, often referring to them as "Sweetie," or "Honey," rather than their real names. And though he couldn't quite go that far with Ross, he would still question nearly everything she did. He'd argue with her to the point that she was red in the face, and her only comeback was: "I am your commanding officer."

Needless to say, he creeped everyone out.

Ed stared at him from across the tent for a long while, wondering why someone hadn't beaten him up yet. But he knew, and so did everyone else. Kimblee wasn't just an asshole, he was a calculating one. He was always one step ahead of them, and his arguments always left the crew dizzy with anger and surprise.

He thought he saw the man twitch, and Ed was quick to pull up his blanket and try for more sleep. Only five minutes passed, however, before Ross appeared and began to kick everyone awake.

With a rifle slung over his back and carrying fifty pounds worth of shit, Ed started his day.

The crew always woke up in the early morning, just after the coldest time of night had passed. And though they could still see their breath, they preferred trekking in that weather to trekking across miles of sand in ridiculous heat.

Luckily for them, Ross was good at her job, and had packed at least a week's worth of water for the three day trek to the oasis. After they reached that, they would head for the eastern base to await their next mission.

Their previous mission consisted of clearing out abandoned Ishvalan towns. It was their job to sweep the area and take care of what stragglers they found.

Luckily, Ross's interpretation of "take care of" was quite different than Kimblee's, and they had left McDougal and Marcoh behind to escort the villagers to the nearest refugee encampment.

They all have their own reasons for being excited to reach the base. Lan Fan, for example, wanted to send a letter to her grandfather. Brosh was excited about the "real" food that would await them. Falman wanted to get in contact with his wife and kids. Paninya was simply waiting to take a bath.

Ed wanted to write Al, and also Winry, though the latter was a topic that made picking on him far too easy. It was the one thing the crew could bond over, and luckily for them, four years of working for news meant that Ed wasn't easily winded.

"Lover boy, if your girl doesn't wait for you, are you going to feel bad about all the trees you killed to write her?" called Paninya. She was usually the one to break up the silence in some way, today it was just at his expense.

"Plot twist." Brosh piped up, "Ed is the real culprit of deforestation."

"And if Winry breaks up with him, forest fires will abound." Lan Fan said from not far away.

"Oh?" Ed asked, "And do you just write Ling via stone and chisel?"

The girl's face reddened. "There's nothing between me and Ling." She defended quickly.

"Hey, I want to know what's going on!" Paninya said, pulling her pack higher up on her shoulders. "Who's Ling?"

Ed grinned; the opportunity to embarrass his friend was too great. "He worked in the studio with her." He explained. "I thought they were siblings for a long time, they're basically inseparable."

"Oooooh." The dark skinned girl called. "Is he a looker?"

Lan Fan blushed and stared rigidly ahead.

"I mean, if I was gay, he wouldn't be my first choice." Ed shrugged. "But he does have nice hair."

"Nice." Paninya said. "I'd go for a guy with nice hair too." She looked past him at Lan Fan. "Oi! Are you two actually dating?"

"No!" Lan Fan snapped, causing the other girl to quickly quiet. Ed figured they had crossed the line, and chose to let silence overtake them again.

Ross shot back a glare. She was moving at a much quicker pace today, leaving little room for breaks. Ed would have asked to stop long ago, if not for his pride.

Still, having sweat cover your entire body isn't a pleasant experience. He was pretty sure he'd have to burn his uniform when they got to the base.

When they did stop for a break, Ross was quick to give them a brief of what would be happening that day, and they listened as they quietly ate their MRE's, even Kimblee seemed too exhausted to argue.

"There's an abandoned trench that we'll come to before we reach the oasis." She explained. "I was assured by other officers that it had been cleared, but there may still be some Ishvalan stowaways. We are to inspect it, and if we find any Ishvalans, escort them to the refugee camp that's on the way to the base."

They nodded in understanding.

"And if someone attacks us?" Kimblee asked. "Do we still just _'escort them to the refugee camp'_?"

Ross stared narrowly at the man. "If someone attacks you, fight back. But we should try to avoid bloodshed. If there's anyone in that trench, I'm almost positive they won't be a soldier."

"And when will we reach it?" Falman asked, being cautious not to further anger her.

"In an hour or so." She responded. "Be on your toes and be careful. I wouldn't be surprised if we found some land mines."

"I mean, if you do step on one, do it a little bit a way from everyone else." Kimblee said. "That would be oh so messy."

"We can split up then." Paninya suggested. "We'll send Kimblee in first."

The man inhaled deeply, but did nothing.

Ross closed her eyes, and pressed two fingers to her temples. She then said sharply: "We leave in five minutes. Get ready."

They shoveled the rest of their food, and hurriedly packed it away. None of them were quite excited to begin walking again, but Ed figured it would at least put them closer to the base.

When they reached the trench, they did find a few land mines, though no one was blown up. The group had split up, and Ed seemed to have drawn the short straw, having Kimblee picked as his partner. They traversed the southern end of the trench, Ed doing his best to stay quiet and avoid being blown up, all the while Kimblee whistled something to himself.

The trench was a little deeper than he anticipated, and soon found himself falling and hitting the dirt hard. Kimblee snorted from above before finding some safe footing down.

A little pride worn, Ed turned his focus to the trench. It was surprisingly clean. A few bags were left there, some boxes of dynamite and a gun here and there, but no decaying bodies, which were what he was told to expect in old trenches.

He was so lost in his thoughts that he almost missed the movement out of the corner of his eye. Ed glanced back at Kimblee, who put a finger to his lips. It seemed he had seen it too.

Praying it was just a stray animal, Ed moved forward, his hand on his pistol. He rounded the corner, prepared to pull it out, but soon sighed in relief.

Before him sat two young Ishvalan boys, they couldn't be older than fourteen. The older of the two quickly stood up, his hands in fists. Ed was prepared to detain him, but Kimblee beat him to it, grabbing the boy's forearm and twisting it until a painful ' _snap'_ filled the air.

Ed was quick to take the boy from Kimblee and push the man as far away as he could. By now the younger was screaming, his hands covering his head, as the older of the two stood crying and gripping Ed's sleeve with his intact limb.

"What the fuck Kimblee?" He yelled, pushing the injured boy behind him.

"He was going to attack!"

"He's a just a kid!" Ed shouted, feeling the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. The way Kimblee was so cold about it, standing with his arms crossed and smirking, terrified and enraged him at the same time.

By now the others had begun to appear. First it was Brosh, who cautiously shoved past Kimblee and over to Ed.

"What happened?"

"We found some kids." Ed explained, stepping back. "Kimblee felt the need to break this one's fucking arm." He gestured to the boy cowering behind him, his red eyes wide with fear.

Brosh let out a breath, "It's okay," he said, and then he moved to help the younger boy up. "We won't hurt you."

"Get away!" he screamed, and scrambled up and behind his friend.

Ross appeared from above, and gracefully jumped down into the trench. She then examined the situation with her dark, calculating gaze.

"Ed?" she asked, not even bothering to confront Kimblee.

"We were scouting the trench and found these two kids." He said, "One of them rushed at us, and Kimblee broke his arm. But it doesn't matter, he was a just a kid and probably scared shitless."

"I'll deal with him later." She said, and Kimblee's face visibly reddened with anger that she didn't even bother to acknowledge him. Ed felt a small sense of satisfaction.

"Now," she moved past Ed to examine the two boys. "What's your names?"

They simply stared at her, looking helpless. The younger of the two clung to his elder's shirt.

"You're safe now." She said, her voice low and soothing. "I won't let anybody hurt you."

Something seemed to break in them, and simultaneously they rushed forward. Ed moved, thinking they were going to try to attack, but to his surprise they simply wrapped their arms around Ross. She hugged them back, letting them cry for a few minutes. Of all people, he would never guess that Ross was the motherly type.

"Okay," she said, pulling back to examine them, whilst keeping steady hands on their shoulders. "What are your names?"

"I'm Rio." The taller one said. "And this is my brother, Rick."

"My name is Maria Ross." She responded. "How long have you been down here?"

Rio shrugged. "A few weeks, maybe."

"And you've been able to find food and water this whole time?"

"Well, there was a store of it when we got here." Rick said. "We've been out for a few days though."

"I can see that." Ross said, examining them. "How about I take you to a nice girl who can help fix up your arm? We'll get you some food and water while we're at it."

The brother's nodded, and allowed Ross and Brosh to help them up and out of the trench. Ed followed, not daring to make eye contact with Kimblee.

* * *

In short and slightly incoherent sentences, Rio and Rick explained how they ended up in the trench. From what he could decipher, Ed figured that they had been on their own for a month now. Their home village was attacked and they simply ran. They must have been almost dead from starvation when they reached the trench.

As for their parents, when asked Rick immediately burst into tears, and the group figured it was a subject to best be left alone.

Paninya did a good job of fixing up Rio's arm, giving him a splint and a great deal of pain killer. She later explained to Ed that with that kind of fracture, she was surprised his bones weren't sticking out.

What he wouldn't give to punch Kimblee.

The two boys took a liking to Ross, and stayed with her for the remainder of the day. Kimblee watched all of this from a slowly decreasing distance, which made Ed all the more nervous.

When night finally fell Ed was given the first watch, and so he quickly set up a fire to block out the deserts cold. He then grabbed his knapsack. He always took this as an opportunity to go over his letters.

He always read Al's first, as his younger brother made a distinct effort to cheer him up. His last letter indicated that the station was up to its normal shenanigans. He briefly talked about Mae, and how he had taken her on a date that he felt ended as a total disaster. His letter ended with a brief P.S. which hinted that he was thinking of adopting a cat.

There were always other letters to go through; he had received a couple from Roy and Riza, and even some from Maes (those of course, were adorned with drawings from Elicia). Due to his constant moving around, he hardly had a set address, and so only had a few letters to speak of, but he kept them regardless.

Especially Winry's.

Her letters were no more decorated than the others, and were usually neat and tidy. She had sent him seven in the six months he had been enlisted, and he made sure that they were tucked away safely next to Al's.

He took one out to read, knowing all too well that it would send him down a slippery slope of homesickness that would last for a few days, but he didn't care.

" _Dear Ed,_

 _I'm fairly sure that the new camera guy is in love with me. I had to let him down gently. It turns out I have another guy I'm waiting for, and he's pretty decent._

 _I mean, he doesn't suck that much._

 _Just kidding, you're the best._

 _Anyways, there's not much going on here. I went to that ice cream parlor we visited all those months ago. I thought of you like any sad girlfriend would whilst eating ice cream._

 _I really miss you Ed. I hope you're doing okay._

 _Also, please don't die. I'm shit at writing and would give the worst eulogy._

 _Try to stay safe. I'll be here with an apple pie when you come back.'_

 _With love,_

 _The Girl With The 'Beautiful Fucking Face,'_

 _AKA Winry"_

He went to put the paper away, but someone cleared their throat, causing him to jump. He realized that it was Kimblee. The Crimson Soldier sat down next to him and reached out a hand. "May I?"

This was the last guy that Ed wanted to piss off, but he still had his priorities.

"You may not." He said simply, and placed the paper in his knapsack before quickly pulling it shut.

"So it's a letter from your girlfriend?" the dark hair man asked. "You really are the typical homesick soldier boy."

"What, you don't write letters to your family?"

Kimblee shrugged, threading his fingers through his long, black hair. "I don't have any."

For some reason, that answer didn't surprise Ed. He opened his mouth to offer a half-assed apology, but the Crimson Soldier was already speaking.

"Now kid, tell me about this girl. Winry- is it? Is she your fiancé?"

"No." Ed said, trying to remain polite, while still firm. He didn't feel comfortable giving Kimblee a great deal of personal information.

"In that case, I'd dump her while you can." He said. "I've seen a lot of guys get their hearts broken. The girls never wait."

"Are you going to be awake for a while?" Ed asked.

"Probably."

He stood. "Then you can take my watch. Goodnight."

He glanced over his shoulder one last time, and shivered when he saw that Kimblee was grinning.

* * *

Two days would have been reasonable. Two and a half- even. But when three days passed, the group began to know that something was going on. Ross was becoming increasingly frustrated and snappish, only talking quietly with Brosh, and occasionally offering Rio and Rick a smile.

On the third night, while they all sat by the campfire eating rationed out MREs, Rio piped up.

"Miss Maria?"

Ross looked up from her meal. "Yes?"

"When are we reaching the camp? You said we would be there a day ago."

Ed could tell that she was trying to hold back her disgruntlement. No one in the group said anything, though they were all listening intently, as the same question had been plaguing them.

"I know I said that." She responded in a measured tone. "I think we're just having a little trouble reading the maps. We'll be fine."

"I mean, we could just be headed in the wrong direction." Lan Fan offered.

"No, we're not." Brosh replied, looking just as frustrated as Ross. "Unless all of our compasses are wrong and our landmarks are drawn terribly incorrect."

"I think we underestimated the distance between there and the trench is all." Ross said. "We're can't be more than a couple days away."

"Yeah, let's hope so, or else we'll starve to death." Kimblee added.

"I can only pray go first." Paninya shot at him, which quickly silenced the Crimson Soldier.

* * *

Ed was given the first watch again, and again Kimblee felt the need to sit with him by the fire. Ed was about to get up and leave, being rather annoyed that his only time alone was being robbed from him, but just as he stood Kimblee spoke.

"You really don't like me kid."

Ed let out a breath. Half of him wanted to beat the shit out of the Crimson Soldier, the other half of him was afraid for his own life.

"Not particularly." He said cautiously. "But that doesn't have much to do with anything."

Kimblee let out a short laugh. "I'm pretty sure it has a lot to do with anything."

He beckoned for Ed to sit down again, and although irritated, he sat. He could endure an uncomfortable conversation if it meant keeping the peace.

"I'm really good at judging people." Kimblee said. "I like to look for their breaking point, and then interact with them based on that."

Ed looked at him. "So you just push people until they snap?"

Kimblee shrugged. "I usually just get as close as I can. It's a power play, you see. If you find out what's going to seriously fuck someone up, then you can exploit it to your advantage. If you can figure out what they do when they snap, then you can figure out how to take advantage of the situation."

"You're sick."

Kimble laughed. "And you're easy."

Ed gave him a questioning look, and so he continued.

"You're young, full of testosterone, I'm sure anything could make you mad at this point. You might not get the rank you were hoping for, you might get cheated on by the government, or maybe your girl back home won't wait for you. When the time comes for you to get mad- and it will- you won't even think. It will be a frenzy until someone's pulled you away. That's how I was, anyways."

The blonde said nothing, though the images of him starting a fight with the construction workers all those months ago quickly filled his mind.

"Falman strikes me as the messy type. He's too polite, too average. He's the one who binge drinks when his wife and kids aren't home, he's the one who will pretend he doesn't know what to do when faced with a fight, but you can bet your ass he'll fight. He's the one who will make you bleed all over the place when he's violent."

He twiddled his thumbs, feeling increasingly uncomfortable, but not quite able to pull himself away from what Kimblee was saying, either.

"Lan Fan is the deliberate kind. I know she says she's never handled a weapon, but I don't believe that. She isn't like the others. They've basically sworn to never touch their weapons and to be chivalric always. I see her hands go to her knives at the slightest hint of danger. If she really wanted to, she'd kill without a second thought. She'll sure feel bad about it later- though."

Ed really hoped that no one was awake to hear this.

"Paninya, well you've got to watch out for her. She's bubbly and happy, but man can she be a bitch. She's torn me apart with words nearly every time we speak. It takes all the energy within me not to reach out and snap her-"

Ed coughed, his hands balling into fists.

"Anyways, she's the one who will strap a bomb to herself if it means getting back at you. There won't be a trace of it, either, not even blood. Just ash and stale air."

The last sentence made Ed shiver.

"Now Brosh is a tough one," Kimblee continued. "He's quite the class clown, and it took me a long time to figure him out. You see the thing with Brosh is that he's never had his waters tested. He's never had to be violent. He's never had the opportunity to know what it feels like to kill someone. But when he gets it, and when it's in a situation where he looks like the good guy- he won't pass it up."

By now Ed was more than ready to get up and leave, but he feared what Kimblee would do.

"I'll let you in on a secret, kid. Ross is really the only person on this team that intimidates me. And not for the reason you think. I could kill her the moment I decided to, but I don't because I like my job. The thing with Ross is that in all aspects she seems like the perfect good guy; friendly, caring, smart, and willing to kick an ass every now and again."

He got quieter.

"I used to wonder what would push her over the edge, but as these weeks drag by, I think I'm starting to understand."

* * *

Ed had never been to a refugee camp, though he was fairly sure it didn't look like this.

In fact, he was positive it didn't look like this.

The ground was charred for a mile in each direction. Rubble littered the ground, as well as blackened and rotting bodies.

"Oh my God."

The stench in the air was other worldly, and it seemed to crawl its way into the back of Ed's throat and stick there. He was on the verge of gagging. Brosh had already thrown up.

Ross was quick to push Rio and Rick to Falman, who held them securely whilst ordering them to close their eyes.

"Should we look for survivors?" Brosh suggested.

"With this smell, it's been at least a week." Ross said. "It's hopeless."

"Actually it's been exactly six days." Kimblee said.

His words made Ed's heart jump into his throat. Lan Fan had her hands on her knives. Paninya took a step forward.

"What do you mean?" Brosh asked, his voice shaking. Kimblee grinned, and Ed felt a shiver run through his spine.

"What I'm saying is we're late." The Crimson Soldier unbuttoned his jacket, and let it fall to reveal what could only be seen as a bomb strapped to his chest. "And I've got to make up for lost time."

"Holy shit." Lan Fan said, backing up several feet.

"Nobody move!" the man bellowed. "If you move one step I will set this off right now!"

The group froze, though Paninya didn't bother to keep her mouth still.

"You- you fucking son of a bitch!" she yelled, her voice shaky.

"No need to bring my mother into this, darling." Kimblee said.

Ed could feel his heartbeat in his ears. His breath felt raw as he began to hyperventilate. He made eye contact with Lan Fan, who looked equally as petrified.

 _Shit._

"This bomb isn't quite as powerful as I would like it to be. If I were to detonate it right now it would kill," he paused, his face twisted in an exaggerated questioning look. "Basically everyone. Though Fallman and Brosh might make it out okay. The kids would probably be fine, but what the fuck would they do if everybody died right here?"

Ross stepped forward, "Kimblee, as your commanding officer I order you to disable that thing right now."

He gave a hearty laugh. "Or what Ross? You'll report me? You'll get me demoted? From where exactly? Because I'm pretty sure there's no military ranks in hell."

"You're twisted." Ed said.

Kimblee gave him a cocky look. "Not nearly as twisted as Ross here, at least I'm being honest with you guys."

The landscape was quiet for a few moments; Ross stood stock still, her eyes wide.

Brosh hesitantly spoke. "Ross? What is he saying?"

"I have no idea what he's talking about." She breathed.

"Bull shit!" Kimblee shouted. "Stop being a lying bitch. You knew this entire time."

"What does he mean?" Ed asked, his hands shaking at his sides. Every instinct told him to grab his gun. He had to keep reminding himself that it would be useless in this situation.

"Good God, how have you not figured this out?" Kimblee sounded whimsical now, and it made Ed cringe. "The government is lying to you. I know it, Ross knows it, and everyone above private status knows it!"

Brosh's voice was quivering now. "Ross?"

"This entire war isn't real." Kimblee elaborated. "It's all a giant hoax for power."

"How can that be?" Lan Fan asked.

"Because the Ishvalans have oil!" He sneered. "They have oil and science and people that we can enslave if we convince of enough of Amestris that they aren't human."

When no one spoke, Kimblee continued: "I bet you assholes think war is inhumane, but it's the most humane thing we could call this situation. The government has got everyone convinced that Ishvalans are out to get them. They use your media, Ed, to portray them as terrorists, when in reality they just have some special ops guy put on a mask and fire blanks. And even in the cases when real Ishvalans shoot up a building or a school, it only takes one bad apple to spoil the bunch."

"Ross-"Brosh had tears in his eyes. "Tell me he's lying."

She simply stared at the ground, her eyes wide as she her hands began to shake.

"Ross!"

Kimblee grinned and Brosh's obvious distress. "Ross has been leading us in circles for a long while. She knew that the refugee camp was going to be blown to bits. She didn't want to be a part of it. Isn't that right?"

"You shut the fuck up!" she shouted, breaking her silence. Tears rolled heavily off her cheeks. "I knew they were planning something but nothing like this!"

Kimblee tapped the bomb that was still strapped to his chest. "The button is right here." He said. "And even in death you're lying to them."

Ross looked back at Brosh and then at the Ishvalan boys, and then back at Brosh, her eyes were desperate. "I-I didn't know that this was going to happen." Her voice was cracking. "Please, Denny, you have to believe me."

Brosh nodded. "I do."

"Well, it's been fun guys." Kimblee said. "I'm sure a couple of you will make it upstairs. Say hi the big guy for me, I'm surprised he let me live this long."

Ed didn't have time to shout before the bomb exploded. He only had time to wonder if Al got his letter before his lungs filled with smoke, and his vision faded away.

* * *

When Ed woke up, he was still wondering about that letter. But those thoughts only lasted for a few moments before a searing sense of dehydration hit him. He sat up quickly, and noticed that he was sitting on the shores of a small lake, with crystal clear water and a few palm trees hanging over it. It was then that blood rushed to his head and he lost his balance. He would have fallen over if not for the hand that quickly gripped his arm and held him steady. He waited a few moments for the stars to clear from his vision, and then turning around, he realized that Brosh had been the one to catch him.

The man looked severely worn. His eyes were red rimmed with dark circles beneath. His left cheek was marred by a large burn that went down the expanse of his neck.

He said something, though it was muffled.

"What?"

Brosh looked helpless, and spoke again. Ed shook his head, he couldn't hear a word clearly.

 _No._

"I'm glad you're awake." Brosh nearly yelled, annunciating each word, and it still sounded a bit fuzzy.

"He detonated that bomb." Ed said as he began to piece together what had occurred.

Brosh nodded. "That bastard is dead."

"And… Ross?"

The man moved to sit beside him, his shoulders hunched and looking positively exhausted. Ed could see that he was saying something, but couldn't quite make it out. The look on his face was all he needed to decipher what happened to her.

"What about the others?"

"Everyone else is alive. Falman is taking the kids to the base and getting someone to come help us. They're fine. I've got this really nice burn. As for you and the girls…" He paused.

Ed supposed he should have looked earlier, but when he finally did, he regretted it.

His left leg ended at the knee.

The bandages were bloodstained, and he felt a dull yet heavy ache.

Ed wasn't the puking type, but it only took a few seconds of staring at his leg to lean over and heave the contents of his stomach. Brosh kept a steady hand on him, and helped him sit back up.

His placed a hand on his forehead, but immediately swore as a searing pain went through his entire arm. It was then that he realized that it was heavily bandaged as well. He grunted. At least it was still there.

"I did what I could for you." Brosh said, his tone of voice sounded empty, as if he were reading aloud a history book. "Lan Fan lost her arm, well, most of it. I had to amputate what was left. Thank God she was still passed out; I didn't have any pain killer."

Ed breathed a sigh of relief, but then realized that he was leaving someone out.

"And Paninya?"

"She's probably going to die." Brosh said. "She's lost both legs and an arm. I'm surprised she's still breathing."

Ed swore under his breath.

The man pulled his legs up so his knees touched his chest and spoke. The soldier helplessly shook his head, he couldn't understand any of it. Brosh sat up straighter and spoke: "I did what I could okay?" he said, his voice shaking. "I did my fucking best."

"Brosh…" Ed reached out to touch his shoulder, but hesitated, as the hand he would use was severely burned. "None of this is your fault."

"No." he agreed. "It's all hers. It's all fucking hers. Why the hell didn't she tell me? You'd think she could trust me, right?"

Ed looked down at his lap. "I'm sorry, Brosh."

By now Brosh had stood and swiftly moved away from him, mumbling something. Ed sat in that same spot, staring dumbly at the oasis in front of him.

He was still in disbelief at what had happened, and that he was even alive. That was when he began to realize that he'd be sent home.

Ed hung his head.

"Hey."

He looked up at the sound of a familiar voice, and realized it was Lan Fan, she seemed to be hard of hearing as well, since she was nearly shouting her hello's. Her chest was wrapped tightly with bandages; her left arm was distinctly absent.

She joined him on the ground. "This is shitty."

Ed sighed. "Ling is going to have my ass for letting this happen to you."

"And you think Winry is going to show me any less mercy?

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Hey y'all, this chapter sure was a doozy, congrats for making it through! I'm on break right now so I've had a chance to sort of catch up on my writing. I'm excited with where I'm taking this.**

 **I should say though, that a lot of the themes and plot devices used in this particular story can be interpreted to reflect some current events, especially that of recent terror attacks. I'd like to affirm that the views expressed in this story aren't mine, nor do I think this is really comparable to what's happening right now. Please just interpret this as its own piece.**

 **I also really love writing Kimblee's character. He's just so interesting.**

 **Things are getting rather intense…. And I promise, it's only beginning. Angst galore in following chapters, you have been warned.**

 **Let me know what you thought!**

 **Quiteokayish**


	7. Chapter 7

The food at the eastern base, while still lacking in many ways, was definitely better than the MREs.

If only Ed could eat it without someone's help.

The nurses were all kind, offering him assistance in the most delicate way possible as to preserve is pride. Ed didn't really mind them. What he minded was that without fail, every time he told them he could do something on his own, he'd end up calling them in a few minutes later.

He supposed he should have given himself some credit, he was crippled after all. He had undergone extensive surgery to sew up his stump of a leg, and then to get a skin graft on the burns that decorated his arm. Needless to say, Ed would be no stranger to narcotics for some time.

The doctors at the base had given him a hearing aid that made it easier for him to function. Though originally it had given him headaches, as the weeks went by Ed had gotten used to it. At first it was far too much stimulation for him to know what to do with. He had lived deaf for nearly a month, and being able to hear the simplest things like knocking over a glass or opening a window overwhelmed him.

Lan Fan's crying did as well.

In the few weeks they had spent waiting for a rescue team her wound had become dangerously infected, and where it once was a stump that ended mid bicep- it was now completely absent. When the large jeep came to take them to the base, Ed could tell by the worry in the medic's faces that something was wrong with her. They spoke to each other (though he couldn't hear a word) as they leaned over her, gingerly pulling back her bandages and examining her wounds, only to shake their heads in dismay. A week's worth of surgeries was what it took to bring her back to a stable state. Though whenever the nurses came to wheel her out, she would look on the verge of a breakdown; and whenever she was brought back in, she would cry herself to sleep.

Ed didn't even bother to confront the soldier's at the eastern base about anything Kimblee had said. He simply let some large (and notably shirtless) man dote on him like a mother. The man, who he later discovered went by the name of Armstrong, was kind and chivalric, and so any fears Ed would have had ebbed away as he began to let his exhaustion and worry take over his thoughts. Paninya was still living somehow, though she still hadn't woken up. Brosh's burns had gotten infected, and as for Ed, well he and Lan Fan could hardly move on their own. Ed's burned arm was beginning to heal up, though the doctors had to remove his ring finger, they had promised him that he would be able to use the limb to its fullest extent soon enough. The group had lost a noticeable amount of weight when they were found, and even as he sat in his hospital bed weeks later, Ed marveled that they had lived at all.

As time passed Ed was able to make his way around on a wheelchair, and Lan Fan could perform most activities without assistance. It was then that their superiors had decided to send them home. They got a chance to write their relatives first, and Ed was ecstatic.

Well, only for a few minutes.

"Are you writing Ling?" he asked, looking over at Lan Fan who scribbled next to him.

"Yeah." She said. "I would write my grandfather, but he doesn't live near any rehab centers. I think it would be best if I stuck in Central City. Then I could get back to work as soon as possible. I don't think I'll have the energy to write him a letter until I get back. I don't know what to say to him."

Ed nodded, but before he could go off into his own thoughts, Lan Fan spoke again.

"What do you plan to do when we return?"

The camera man shrugged and looked away. "I'll probably have Al pick me up. We'll just go from there."

"Are you going to write Winry?"

He grunted. "And say what? 'Hey babe- I know I said I'd end up fine but now I can't even walk on my own. I know you thought I was really cool, but now I'm-'" he paused, looking at the empty paper. "Shit, Lan Fan. What is she going to say when she sees my arm? It's going to look terrible."

The girl next to him shrugged. "Scars just make you cooler."

"Yeah, I mean, just look at this one! I'm missing a finger, and I look like a fucking reptile. The blisters are a nice touch. The fact that I can't take a shit on my own is probably almost as attractive."

Lan Fan stared at him. "Once you get automail, you'll be fine. Even if you weren't going to be fully functional, do you really think she's that shallow?"

The blonde just gazed at his hand, examining the snow white bandages that would probably have to be changed soon.

"I know. She probably won't care." He said. "I just thought I could give her better." He glanced at Lan Fan out of the corner of his eye. "You know?"

The girl nodded. "I know."

* * *

Ed had left his address with the doctors, asking them to give it to Paninya if or when she awoke so that she could write him. Armstrong had tearfully decided that he would accompany Ed and Lan Fan back to Central City. The train ride was long and monotonous, and Armstrong had taken it as an opportunity to go in depth (extremely so) about the various health benefits they would receive, as well as a monthly pension. Ed tried to nod and appear to be listening. Lan Fan didn't even attempt, and was soon sleeping on the other side of the car. Perhaps unknowingly, he followed her lead, leaving Armstrong to grumble about the foolishness of youth.

When they had finally pulled up to the stop, Ed could see a familiar crew gathered around on the platform. He wasn't surprised to see Al and Winry, or even Pinako, who stood about a head shorter though no less noticeable. Ling was a few feet away from them, standing alone.

Ed wasn't listening as Armstrong went off in another speech, only silently trying to gather his courage as he stumbled further towards the doors, doing his best not to trip over his own crutch. Lan Fan walked stubbornly behind them, refusing to take anyone up on their offers to help.

His heart beat increased as they got closer to the exit. He could see that the group was now inching closer to the train, anxiously awaiting the two veterans.

Armstrong graciously offered him his arm as Ed made his way down the stairs. Though he had been practicing for quite a while, the cameraman was nowhere near functional with his crutch.

As his foot touched the platform Ed cautiously looked up, only just in time to see a figure rushing towards him.

It was Al.

"Thank God." The blond said, wrapping him in a tight hug. It was the kind that made your back pop and your chest a little tight. Ed nearly cursed; he was already blinking back tears.

"I was so worried." The man said. "You're an asshole."

"I know." Ed said, doing what he could to reciprocate the hug, though his right arm was still pained at this point, his brother stepped back, wiping his eyes. The older of the two offered a small smile. "Sorry I worried you."

He only had a moment to breathe before another force hit him- this one still a blonde, but slightly smaller and prettier than his brother.

Winry didn't say anything. She simply wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head on his chest. Ed gingerly placed his wounded hand on her back, the other still holding tightly to his crutch.

She was crying too, though in a little less dignified way. Ed stayed quiet, though he smiled to himself.

He had missed them more than he could say.

The smaller of the two pulled away, and Ed noted that she hadn't changed much, her hair had grown some, but other than that she was the same woman he had left.

"There's apple pie at home." She said, "Just like I promised."

Ed grinned. "There better be, I blew off my leg just to get back here."

Winry gave him a look, and he stopped grinning. "Too soon?"

"Not soon enough!" Pinako said, appearing from around Al. "With your behavior I figured you'd become a customer one day, I just thought it would have happened earlier. You were always reckless."

"Nice to see you too, granny." Ed said.

"It looks like you brought in another client while you were at it." The old woman said, nodding in the direction of Lan Fan, who was currently speaking with Ling a few feet away. "I knew I kept you around for something."

"Better be careful with that automail." He said, "You wouldn't want to make me even taller than I am now."

The woman grunted. "Or shorter."

* * *

When Ed had finally healed up, Pinako was quick to attach his automail leg. The cameraman had been told it would hurt, but shrugged it off. His certainty dimmed however as Winry and Al came to hold him down.

Needless to say, there was a great deal of screaming.

But it was a good fit, as Ed was sure it would be, and it only took a few adjustments to get it into top condition. Pinako and Winry only spent a few weeks on Lan Fan's arm, and though she offered to pay, Winry insisted that she take it as a gift from coworker. The two stubborn women butted heads for nearly ten minutes before Winry suggested they simply go out to dinner at some point, which Lan Fan was able to settle with.

Once she was sure that he and Lan Fan were set, Pinako packed her things. "I've already spent a month in this godforsaken city." She had said when Al asked if she could stay a bit longer. "As much as I love pestering you, I think it's time I go home."

Ed and Lan Fan attended regular therapy sessions at the local hospital, spending at least a couple hours a day learning how to function with their missing limb and new automail. Luckily for Ed, Lan Fan was just as competitive as he was, and they were able to get through the program in two weeks through sheer willpower to beat the other.

Riza, Roy, Maes, and nearly all of his friends from the station came to visit him once or twice. Roy had promised to set him back on the job as soon as he was ready, and Riza had even offered to refresh him on the editing system. Maes poked fun at him and his now obvious relationship with Winry, all the while Elicia examined his automail leg in wonder.

Two months after his run in with a bomb and Ed was functioning just fine.

Physically, that is.

It was Al who first spoke to him about his mental state. His brother had sat him down at the kitchen table and asked him about nearly everything, ranging from his relationship with his crew to how stable he felt with being in public. Ed did his best to answer the questions, though soon became uncomfortable and opted to leave and take a nap.

Since Ed had been gone there were hundreds of more crimes, so many that no one could recount specifics, though there was one that left nearly every person he spoke to with a white face and cold hands.

"There were two children killed in the street." Winry explained when Ed finally got the nerve to ask what the big deal was.

"I mean, by now we've seen it all, but this was a little too much." The blonde said, leaning back against the armrest of the couch as Ed took up space on the other side.

"But why?" he asked cautiously, not interested in upsetting her.

She stared blankly at the wall. "They were shot, execution style, but only after their killers sang our national anthem."

Ed took a breath. "Were you there?"

She nodded, not meeting his eyes.

The cameraman crawled over to where she sat curled on the couch. "Why didn't you tell me about it?"

"You had a lot on your plate." Winry said, finally meeting his eyes.

"Are you okay?" he asked, not quite sure of how to make up for his apparent ignorance of her trial.

"Yes." She said. "I think I'm fine now."

Years later, she would divulge to Ed that she had stepped forward to try to free them, only to be a moment too late. She would reveal the details of how she had gone home that night and tried desperately to get the bloodstains out of her dress, and how she cried herself to sleep for a long time following it.

But for now, he wouldn't know.

* * *

A man named Jean Havoc had taken up his job as a camera operator during his time in Ishval, and from what Ed could gather, he was alright, though rather flirty.

Al had assured him that Winry had acted with an iron fist, and shot down every single attempt Jean had made at seducing her. Having been at the brunt of her anger before, Ed honestly pitied the man.

Jean would move on to train as a producer with Al once Ed returned, which the later planned to do before the end of the third month.

Well, he at least hoped he would.

For some ungodly reason, Ed could by no means force himself out of bed in the mornings. His automail was working just fine, and had nothing to do with the fact that he could hardly make himself shower, and eating became a once-a-day thing.

He didn't read, or watch TV, or write, he would simply lie in bed all day, occasionally getting up for a drink or to use the restroom. He ignored the plaguing thought that something was wrong with him. He was simply tired, and making up for the rest that he didn't get in Ishval. That was what he told himself- anyways.

Al would poke his head in every now and again, and Winry came visit sometimes, this was one of those times.

"Hey handsome," she said as she entered the room and set down her toolbox on his bedside table. Ed figured he looked anything but handsome, with tangled hair and dark bags beneath each eye.

"How's your leg holding up?" she asked. "Al said you were having trouble with it."

Ed sat up, confused. "My leg is fine."

"Are you sure?" Winry asked, sitting at the edge of his bed to examine it. "He said you hadn't been walking on it at all."

"Bullshit." He said. "It works just fine."

"That's good to hear." Winry said, her fingers tracing the ankle of his automail. Ed noticed that her mouth was pulled into a frown.

"Hey," he started cautiously, "Are you okay?"

He was taken aback when she looked up and asked with a rather sharp tone, "Are you?"

Her question was simple enough, but it still left him stumbling to find an answer that he felt he could share with her. There were far too many things that still rubbed him raw and left him on the verge of tears.

Winry continued when he said nothing. "You haven't been bathing or sleeping or eating, and no-" she held up a hand when he began to speak, "You can't convince me otherwise."

A few moments of silence passed. He simply stared at her, at a loss of what to say.

"Ed, I'm worried about you. I'm scared for you."

He was quiet for a few moments, simply gripping his bed sheets and staring at his lap.

"I'm sorry for scaring you Winry." He said finally. "I don't know what it is, I just…" he took a breath as he tried to find the right term. "I'm in a funk."

"You're depressed."

Ed swallowed. "Yeah, I guess you could say that."

Winry stared at him for a long moment before nodding. She then stood and moved to slip under the covers with him, resting her head on his shoulder as she toyed with the fabric of his shirt. He put a hand in her hair. It had been a long time since they had shared intimate contact like this. The first three months back were either too busy or too stressful for either to find a moment, but now they had one, and he planned to hold on to it for as long as he could.

"Hey Ed?"

"Hm?"

Winry placed her hand flat on his chest, "I think you should consider seeing a psychiatrist."

Ed supposed he should have been doing so when he first got back, but he was far too focused on recovering physically to notice that his mental state was going downhill. He had lost even more weight since his return, and it was only reasonable for him to get help.

"I know someone you could go to." She said, breaking up his thoughts.

"Who?"

"I had a counsellor back when my parents died. I haven't had to see her for some years now, but she really did help me out."

Ed peered down at her. "I didn't know you had a counsellor."

Winry shrugged. "It's not really a time of my life that I like to relive." She paused. "You don't have to see her if you don't want to, but she certainly helped me."

"Who is it?"

"Her name is Izumi Curtis" she explained, "And lucky for you she's been living in Central City for six years now. "

He stared back up at the ceiling. Not wanting to think about the implications of having a psychiatrist. "I'll give her a call." He said, trying not to show his hesitation.

"Good." Winry replied. "Now how about this, you go take a shower and I'll change these nasty ass sheets and find her phone number. Fair?"

Ed smiled. "Fair."

* * *

Izumi was not at all what he pictured a counsellor to be.

She didn't sugar coat anything, and when Ed explained what had been happening she promptly informed him that he was "Depressed as fuck," and "Could probably use some medication."

"I'd rather not take any medication." Ed said quickly, trying to be civil and firm all the same.

The brunette stared at him over the top of her clipboard. "I can respect that, but I have to ask, why not? Your insurance would definitely cover it."

"It's not that." He responded, rubbing the back of his neck, "I just don't want this to take over my life."

Izumi put down her clipboard. "That's really what you think?"

Ed knew he had said something wrong, but had too much pride to take it back now. "I mean, what's happening to me isn't so bad, and medication is only for the people that are seriously messed up."

"Winry took medication for three years after her parents died."

The room was nearly silent; Ed listened to the birds just outside for a few moments, utterly unsure of what to say.

"I didn't mean-"

"I know what you meant." Izumi said. "But you're wrong if you think medication is only for, oh how did you say it, those who are 'seriously messed up.'? It must be a revelation to know that Winry was one of those people."

Ed clenched his fist, feeling his heart beat in his ears. "I didn't know."

"Exactly." She said. "And most people don't know if someone takes medication, so watch your fucking mouth before you hurt somebody."

Pressing two fingers to her forehead with an exhausted look, she continued. "I'm going to be honest with you, that's how most people think. But you don't have to let them know you take medication, and in reality if they don't like that then they aren't worth your time."

Izumi met his eyes. "It can really help you get back on your feet, and maybe after a while we can start to wean you off of it. If you still aren't interested, then that's your decision, I'm just giving you the same options I give everyone."

* * *

Prescription in hand, Ed returned to where Winry sat on Izumi's couch, and offered her a hand up.

"We're all good to go." Izumi said, coming in to the room behind him. "Come back in two weeks and we'll see how things are going. Until then, it was nice seeing you again Winry."

The girl smiled at her. "Thanks again, Izumi."

They exited the house; all the while Ed clutched his prescription tightly. He could feel words bubbling in his throat; he just wasn't sure how to let them go. Surely Winry of all people would support him in this.

His thoughts were interrupted as she slipped her hand into his. "We should go to the ice cream shop after we hit the pharmacy."

Ed looked at her, then back at his prescription. He then felt his lips tug up in a smile as they continued on to the car.

* * *

The feeling of having a camera in his hand was something he couldn't explain, and it only took a few short days for Ed's body to remember what he had taught it about the instrument. That following week he was sent out to shoot for the New Year's party. Ed promptly agreed, though he was still in awe at how much time had passed. It never occurred to him how long it had been since his deployment.

Roy was careful about asking Ed and Winry to cover New Year's again, though this time for a different reason. "I know that some people coming back from war have trouble with loud noises, and there's going to be a great deal of fireworks and cheering at the party." He had explained. "If you're not comfortable Ed, no one is going to judge you. You can just say so."

The cameraman was quick to shake his head no, his cheeks a pinkish hue from his embarrassment. It took at least three more confrontations for Roy to finally accept his answer, and Ed honestly thought he would be fine.

At least he would have been, if he had been paying attention.

Ed was so engrossed with getting his shot, whilst trying to listen to what Winry was saying at the time that he forgot that the countdown was coming up. It was only once the audience got to eight that he began to realize what was occurring.

He couldn't run fast enough.

Handing the camera to Winry, Ed was bolting back to the van before they even hit five.

He could have sworn his heart would explode as he flung open the door of the van and hurled himself inside, slamming it behind him and crouching on the floor. He could hear the muffled sounds of the audience counting in the distance, which only brought him more panic. Ed quickly turned off his hearing aid and ducked his head under his arms.

Loud cheers and fireworks were easy to mistake for screaming and explosions.

Sounds were muffled out now, and Ed tried to get himself to calm down. He pressed his forehead to the carpet on the floor of the van, counting each breath as he tried to slow them down.

The fireworks continued on for several minutes, and Ed simply kept reminding himself that they were just that, fireworks. There were no explosions. There was no bomb. It was just fireworks.

No one was going to die.

There was no bomb.

He shut his eyes tightly. Telling himself that it was almost over, all the while resisting the instinct to scream, to get out of the van and run further, or to take out whomever was lighting the fireworks.

As the muffled sounds steadily dissipated, he felt a breeze. He dared to look up, only to see that Winry was standing in the doorway, her face drawn in worry. Her mouth moved as if she were saying something. Ed simply stared at her.

Winry climbed into the van, pulling the door shut behind her and scooting to the driver's side with keys in hand, intent in turning on the heat. He then felt her place a hand on his back.

She was probably saying something again. He didn't dare turn up his hearing aide. He didn't trust his actions if there were to be more fireworks

Her hand touched his shoulder, and Ed glanced up, only to see that she held her arms open for him. He went for it without a second thought, getting to his knees and burying his head into her chest. They stayed like that for a few more minutes, with Winry running her hands through hair while Ed tried to control his breathing and the shaking in his hands.

Finally, after the traces of fireworks became significantly low, Ed dared to turn on his hearing aids.

"They probably aren't done yet." He could hear Winry warn.

"I'll be fine if we get home." He said, trying to ignore how fragile his voice sounded.

"I can drive."

Ed didn't question it, turning his aids back off he moved to sit in the passenger's seat. He stared rigidly at his feet the entire way home. The muffled fireworks died out, with about a minute between each, and he took as many deep breaths as he could in an effort to calm himself.

When they reached his apartment he bounded up the stairs and inside. Once the door had shut Winry promptly turned on the television and brought up the radio. Only then did Ed brave turning his aids back on.

The explosions were still there, but now much more distant and stifled, the late night news helping to drown out whatever was left of them.

He sat down on the couch, staring blankly at Maes and Rose, not even paying attention to their reports. Winry soon joined him, handing him a hot cup of tea and sitting close enough for their thighs to touch.

When the news ended Winry went to get the remote and find something interesting, though there were few stations to choose from, and she settled with one that showed old black and white films.

"I'm sorry." Ed said. His anxiety was nearly gone now, replaced only by a sense of shame. "God, that must have been so embarrassing for you."

"Edward Elric, if you think I give a damn about anyone's opinions, then you don't know me very well at all."

He felt his lips tug up in a smile. Of course she wouldn't.

Ed wrapped an arm around her shoulder, and pulled her over to him and planted a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"Thank you."

Winry rested her head on his shoulder and letting out a deep breath whispered:

"We'll be just fine, Ed."

"Yeah, we will."

As that movie faded to black the next began, and then the next, for as long as it took for the fireworks to stop.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Hey guys!**

 **There's some fairly serious and heavy subjects covered in this chapter, so I'm going to take a minute to once again affirm that the opinions stated in this story are not necessarily mine, but what I think would fit the character. Here's a couple of things I do believe though:**

 **Depression is a rough thing, and whether or not you take medication is a decision between you and your psychiatrist. It's nobody's place to judge somebody else's decisions about their own mental health. They know themselves better than anyone else does.**

 **PTSD will fuck you up, and we should all be courteous when we can to those who may suffer from it. It's not that difficult to warn your combat vet neighbor that you're going to light some fireworks. Usually they won't have too much trouble if they have a fair warning.**

 **Winry and Ed reunited brings me joy. I missed these two together in the last chapter.**

 **Let me know what you thought, thanks for reading!**

 **Quiteokayish**


	8. Chapter 8

They took their dates when they could. Ed was getting better with medication and had an easier time functioning in public. It meant the world that Winry was never too forceful. As stubborn as the girl was, whenever Ed said he wasn't feeling up for a night on the town she'd comply. They were beginning to rack up an impressive amount of VHS tapes, as movie watching became a nightly activity.

Tonight was no exception. The television flickered as the obviously fake giant spider terrorized an unsuspecting town. They had ordered pizza and cheesy bread, and were by now in a content state, lying almost completely still on the couch.

Winry was sprawled out on top of him, half of her dangling over the couch. Her head lay on his chest and her breathing as beginning to level out. Ed was sure she'd be asleep in no time.

It was February now. Ed had all but moved in with her, though he continued to occasionally raid Al's apartment for food or miscellaneous thing's he'd forgotten. His brother seemed content with it, though Ed was careful to knock after one embarrassing incident.

He was well, and had been working full time for the past month. Lan Fan had returned to the station, determined to master her automail and be able to work in the studio again.

Winry's breathing was low and steady now, and Ed was rather close to turning off the television and going to bed early (not before sneaking off with the last piece of cheesy bread, though). Just as he was about to sit up however, her voice reached him.

"Ed?"

"Yeah?"

She let out a loud and dramatic yawn, then pursed her lips together for a moment before saying. "I love you."

Ed stiffened, his heart felt as if it had stopped beating all together. He couldn't remember the last time someone had said that to him.

The blonde looked up, her blue eyes wide with worry at his apparent silence. "I'm sorry." She said, "I didn't mean to upset you-"

He pulled her into a tight hug to silence her. "Don't apologize. You just surprised me is all."

Threading his fingers through her hair, he took a deep breath. He couldn't remember the last time he had said it, either. "I love you too."

Winry grinned. "And my 'beautiful fucking face'?"

"And your beautiful fucking face."

"Well in that case…"

Her warmth suddenly left as she jumped to her feet. It was only when she began to tear off towards the kitchen that Ed realized what was happening.

"I swear to God, if you take the last piece of cheesy bread-"

He rolled off the couch and ran after her. She was nearly at the table when he tackled her to the ground. Giggling commenced, and so did kissing. When Winry began to pull up his shirt however, Ed sharply pulled away.

"What is it?"

"I-" he swallowed harshly, not meeting her eyes. "I don't look the same anymore Winry. I have scars."

"I knew you would." She said, getting to her feet. Ed took the hand that she offered to help him up. When he was standing she gently reached out and grasped the end of his shirt, cautiously pulling it up and over his head.

He was scarred from the middle of his chest down to the tips of the fingers on his right arm. They were pink and rough. They were pulled so tightly that it felt as if that part of him weren't even human.

Winry's finger's ghosted over them, her face was unreadable.

She then leaned forward, planting kisses on the various lines ridges that decorated his skin. Ed was more relieved than he could say.

* * *

Ed didn't miss the desert. He particularly didn't miss the heat, but the van had a good air conditioning system, and it left him and Winry content as they drove through the refugee camp. Dozens of people stood on the side of the street, selling a variety of fruits and pots and textiles alike. It was market day, and the buzz that lingered until nightfall was something he was glad to escape.

The camp had become more of a town. With no end to the war is sight, many of the Ishvalan people began to build homes. Some of the more adventurous would build businesses. It was proclaimed by the state to be the safest place on their side of the border, and it was the best bet they had at starting new without immigrating.

The tents and buildings thinned as they went further into the desert. Some miles away from the town was a military base. The encampment was one of the larger and more prominent ones. A bomber had snuck in, and a shootout took place before he could enable said bomb. The authorities had assured them that all had settled down, and that it was perfectly safe to cover it.

"Hey Ed, what do you think sounds better-" Winry started-"'Local military personnel have stated that this is not a rare crime, though it does raise suspicion about the security of the Amestrian base.' Or: 'This isn't the first time the base received a bomb threat, and officials are beginning to worry that it won't be the last.'"

He thought for a moment. "Go for the second one. But make sure you include the shooting somehow, we shouldn't just leave that out."

"I was leaning towards that one too." She said, and then went back to going over her lines.

When they pulled into the army encampment they were met with a line of soldiers asking for ID and patting them down. It was a necessary evil that both had evolved to comply with the longer they stayed in Ishval. When they were deemed as vetted, a stern looking woman approached. Ed knew her; she was a leading commander and had given them soundbites before.

"Do you want to see it?" she asked.

"See what?"

"The bomb. It's been disabled. I thought you might like some footage of it."

"Where is it?" Winry questioned.

"At the barracks. The men are doing their morning routine, so please refrain from distracting them."

Winry looked at Ed. "This will make for an excellent live shot."

Ed agreed. They went and set up. The bomb was smaller than he expected, obviously made by an amateur, with enough wires and button to make his head hurt. It wasn't blinking or making any noise, which he took as a good sign. They reported right next to the table it was set up at.

"We're here live at the scene of the shooting." Winry said, Ed meeting her eyes briefly from where he stood holding the camera. He then glanced at the bomb, noticing that a small red light was flashing at him. He couldn't comprehend what that meant quickly enough. His heart beat quickened and he felt his fingertips grow cold. He couldn't move. "Not much information has been given to us-" but before she could finish, the bomb detonated.

He shot forward, his blood running like ice water through him as he let out loud gasps of breath. His throat constricted, he felt like vomiting.

Hunching over, he held his head in his hands. He did what he could to calm his breathing, though he could hardly think at that moment, let alone remember the technique Izumi had taught him to use in times like these.

"Oh my God." He whispered. "Oh my God."

A hand brushed against his shoulder, and without a second though he grabbed it sharply, wrenching the figure forward with one hand as his other balled into a fist. He saw flashes of Kimblee in his mind's eye as he did so. He was prepared to fight, and to kill.

But instead of the dull amber eyes of the crimson soldier, he was met with large, blue ones. The rest of the picture slowly came into focus around them, and he could see messy blonde hair framing a pale face. Behind her were pillows and beneath them were bedsheets.

"Ed?"

It was Winry, and she was scared shitless.

The weight of what had happened hit him all at once. He exhaled slowly, and his hands were shaking as he dropped hers.

 _JESUS._

Ed could have hurt her. He was prepared to, intent on it in a way.

Several emotions hit him at once, replacing the fear that had constricted his thoughts. He felt as if he were struck by lightning. Shock and concern and pain coursed through him in rough and heavy waves. Guilt anchored him on the ocean floor. He felt as if he were quite literally drowning.

"I'm sorry." Was the only thing he could think of saying at that point. "Oh my God- I'm so sorry."

For the first time in years, his eyes stung as tears gathered in them. He didn't know if it were shame or sorrow that caused him to bury his face in his hands. "I didn't mean to." He said. "I'm sorry."

A hand on the nape of his neck guided him forward so that his head rested on Winry's shoulder. She folded her arms around him tightly while he cried. It wasn't the noble kind either- his nose was runny and his eyes became swollen with irritation.

"I'm sorry." He would have given anything to reverse the turn of events.

"It's alright." Winry said, "Really Ed, it is. Do you want to talk about it?"

He shook his head. "I hate myself." He whimpered, losing the fight against his own vulnerability.

"And I love the shit out of you." She protested. "Don't be so hard on yourself."

"I almost hurt you."

"It was an accident. You were having a nightmare. I know you'd never do anything like that otherwise."

"I'm sorry." Ed hated that that was all he could say. "I'm sorry."

She pulled him closer to her. "I know; its okay."

It wasn't, and it never would be. He hoped she'd stay ignorant of that.

* * *

A few weeks passed and the incident was never spoken of, though it took Ed a few days to get over his shyness in touching her. He wondered what else could set him off, if simple things like dreams and fireworks could put him in a frenzy.

Ed sat on their couch, watching the local station. It was his day off, and Al's as well. He half considered calling his brother over to hang out, but was too busy enjoying the leftovers from a home cooked meal and spending time alone. He sat cross legged on the couch, waiting for the news.

When the clock struck six he was surprised to see that instead of the normal opening graphics he was met with only static. He was quick to shrug it off however, as it was probably a connection issue, and they had to deal with those regularly. He sat back, sure that it would start in a few minutes.

But ten minutes passed, and the white screen had remained.

When twenty had gone by, he called the station, wondering why it had lasted so long and if there was anything he could do to help. The phone wrung out however, and he was never answered.

Ed tried to convince himself that it was probably nothing. He knew that in all likelihood there was no danger, and that he was just a paranoid man, so he forced himself to sit on the couch and wait, though every instinct told him to drive to the station immediately.

When the screen faded back into regularly scheduled programming he finally allowed himself to leave. He reasoned that he would just go early and check that all was well. The apartment was too quiet anyways.

As he started towards his destination, he put his worries on the backburner for a total of five minutes. He was just about to mentally congratulate himself when a firetruck zoomed past him.

Forcing himself to not slam on the gas was almost a physical effort. Ed had nearly succeeded when another flew by. He saw a cloud of smoke in the sky in the general direction of the station, and that cut off any and all second thoughts.

He was a hopeless cause. Ignoring the fact that he was likely to get ticketed for obstruction, he diligently followed the trucks, going nearly as fast as they were. What was normally a twenty minute drive was cut down to ten. Though he was going ninety, it felt as if an eternity had passed before he made it to the parking lot. He could very well burn out his car, but couldn't care less.

When the station came into view, flames were still visible through the broken windows of the second floor. He could see trucks spraying water into the burning building, and a crowd of familiar faces was gathered behind them. Ed nearly kicked open his door and stumbled out of the driver's seat. The air was thick with the smell of smoke, and sirens still wailed in the background, but all he could focus on was the group of employees he was approaching, and how a certain one wasn't among them.

He immediately sought out Roy. The black haired man stood stock still as he watched the fire crew put the building out. His eyes didn't move in the slightest as Ed asked where Winry was, and he simply gestured towards an ambulance.

The camera man was very close to throwing up. He went into a full sprint towards the vehicle, skidding around only to find her sitting on the edge of it's backside, wearing a bright yellow blanket and looking ruffled, but altogether alright. Her eyes were red and watering, presumably from smoke, and a paramedic was bent over at her side, just about to finish checking her breathing.

Ed exhaled slowly, he could settle down now. Their eyes met, and he did his best to grin, as his old self would have done.

"There's trouble." He said, coming to stand in front of her as the EMT finished his work and moved on.

"Are you okay?" he asked

She nodded. "Oh yeah, I hear almost dying from suffocation is good for you bones."

There was a small moment's pause before he came and sat next to her, draping his arm around her shoulder in a protective manner.

"I was joking." She said.

"I know." He felt lightheaded.

Maes appeared from the crowd, walking intently towards them. When he was within hearing distance Ed asked:

"Do we know who did this?"

"The police are still looking," he said as he came to stand in front of them. "They think it was an amateur arsonist. Whoever it was, they got the upper floor. We'll have to replace the news room and the editing bays, but the rest of our equipment is in good shape.

"How long do you think it will be before we put out a show?"

The man scratched his chin. "If we can build a quick set, we could have a show out by the end of this week. Mind you, a shitty show, but it would still get broadcasted." He glanced between them. "Winry, you should come in tomorrow, we could use a mechanic."

"Will you need me?" Ed asked.

He shrugged. "You can come if you want, but you're pretty useless right now."

The camera man shot him a friendly glare, and Maes rolled his eyes.

* * *

A few weeks passed before Ed could send Winry to the station with some degree of confidence. The girl had assured him every day that she would be fine, and so far she had been right.

In less than a month the station was in working condition. Some rooms still needed renovation, but they only needed a few computers to put out a show, and so they did what was necessary.

Crime seemed to funnel out at a faster rate after the station had been attacked, if it was even possible for them to occur at a higher density than they had before. With every story that passed, it was becoming more of a burden for Ed to shove away what Kimblee had said. He silently questioned the validity of any and every government statement. He questioned why Paninya had yet to write him, and why the rest of the crew, save Lan Fan, had all but disappeared from existence.

It was likely the Kimblee was a psychopath, but Ed knew that Ross couldn't be in that same line, and she had obviously been involved with at least some of what the man had claimed was happening.

It was still difficult for him to wrap his head around what it meant if Kimblee _was_ telling the whole truth.

Whether out of boredom or questioning, Ed spent his day off at the military headquarters. He was surprised at how intense it had become since his last visit. He wasn't let in without his military ID, and even then he was patted down and asked to leave any metal back at his car (which led to an awkward conversation about his automail, which he was thankfully allowed to keep with him).

Large maps decorated the wall, with photos of several different squadrons lining the top. Everyone he passed was in full uniform, and Ed couldn't help but feel out of place in his regular jeans and a sweater.

He was surprised to see Brosh of all people there. The man who had neglected his letters for so many months walked by, only stopping to look back when Ed had called after him.

"Hey." The blonde said, smiling. "It's been a while."

"It has." The taller of the two agreed. His hair was shorter and the burns had healed into dark scars, not unlike Ed's own. "I see you've gotten back to your old self."

Ed shrugged, feeling uncomfortable at how formally Brosh was speaking to him. It was like he was in the presence of a completely different person.

"More or less." He said, and then with little forethought he asked, "What have you got planned for the next few hours?"

Brosh's eyes widened slightly. "Why?"

"I was just thinking that we should go out for drinks and catch up." Ed said with a smile, trying to put the man at ease. "It's been a while."

"Okay." The soldier said. "Right now will work."

Ed was surprised at how quickly he agreed, "Yeah, sure. Right now?" he asked uneasily, trying to rifle through his to do list as quickly as possible.

"I'll be busy for the foreseeable future." Brosh said.

Something about the man's demeanor and his cold voice made Ed worried, and he quickly escorted him to the car. Brosh nearly demanded that they drive to a bar in a more rural area, even though Ed tried to protest that there were decent ones downtown.

Their conversation was civil enough. They went through the basic outlines of the past months as they drove, and then to the awkward 'how have you been' questions that always seemed to occur in those situations. They made a great deal of small talk as they ordered, Brosh going straight for whiskey while Ed went for water, knowing that he'd be driving later.

The man spent the entire time glancing nervously around the room as he wrung his hands. Ed was close to asking what was wrong before Brosh abruptly stood and announced that he was leaving, and so he offered to buy the man a cab as was friendly custom. The offer was accepted, and the two ended up sitting on a bench on the curb as they waited, surrounded by a stifling silence.

He was about to say something along the lines of ' _What are your plans for the future?"_ but before he could Brosh was already rushing out the words:

"Kimblee wasn't lying."

Ed sat rigid, wondering if he had heard what he thought he had heard. It had been said in a low whisper, one which he would have definitely missed if he hadn't been paying attention.

"What?"

"Everything he said was true." Brosh spoke quickly; his voice shaking with what was obviously nervousness. "I've been promoted. I went to meetings. I've heard it all."

The weight of the man's words were hitting him like a train. Ed wasn't sure of what to say.

"What should we do?"

"I don't know." Brosh hissed, his green eyes darting back and forth. "Something big."

"Like what?"

He turned and looked Ed directly in the eye. "Overthrow Fuhrer Bradley."

The blonde was incredibly close to leaving before he could bury himself any deeper. "Like hell we'll get away with that."

"Who says?"

Ed was silent. This was insane.

"You work for the media." Brosh said, "Surely if they revealed the truth the country would go insane. There would be riots all across the city. King Bradley would have to step down."

"And what if you're wrong?" he shot back. "What if no one riots? What if no one cares?"

Wheels against pavement made them cease their conversation. They were relieved to see it was just Brosh's cab.

They stood, and Ed offered him a hand shake. The man took it, but wrenched him close so that he could whisper.

"Do you think what happened to your station was an accident? You're already a threat to them whether you know it or not."

With that he ducked swiftly into the cab. Everything happened so quickly that Ed could hardly process it, and before he could respond they sped away, leaving him standing and staring at a piece of paper that Brosh had snuck into his hand. It had an address written on it.

He pocketed it and walked quickly to his car, trying and failing to put the thoughts at the back of his mind.

Of course he wanted to do something. Of course he wanted to help the people. But measures like this? They could be tried for treason; they could be shut down before they even go the word out. They could be executed as criminals.

But thousands of people had died, and if anything Brosh had said was true, it was for nothing but the ambition of a greedy government.

The thoughts plagued him as he began to drive away. He almost made it to his apartment before reaching into his pocket and pulling out the address.

How much would he hate himself if he did nothing?

"Fuck it." Ed said loudly, and turned the car around. The street that had been scribbled down was on the poor side of town, in a neighborhood of mobile homes and was generally on a low profile. He drove through it slowly, anxious to find his destination quickly, though dreading it all the same.

It probably wasn't too late to back out; Ed tried to reason with himself as he pulled to a stop in front of a simple yet clean home. The lights were on inside, and it was almost worse going to the door knowing that he would be answered.

He didn't have time for second thoughts however, because the moment his foot hit the first step of the porch the door swung open.

"Sorry I never answered your letters lover boy, I've been busy."

* * *

Paninya was in a good mood, and it took nearly twenty minutes for Ed to turn to conversation to overthrowing the government.

"So are you two getting married anytime soon?"

"No." Ed said, drumming his fingers on the table, his other hand occupied by a cup of tea.

"You sure?"

"Yes."

"God you're no fun anymore Ed." She said. "Your reactions aren't nearly as great."

"Sorry." He replied, and then before she could speak again he changed the subject. "What happened after I left the eastern base?"

The girl let out a loud sigh. "I woke up a few weeks after you and Lan Fan left. I asked one of my nicer nurses about what Kimblee had said, and she had no clue. I asked a military personnel about it, and by their reactions I shut up pretty quickly. I was shipped down to Rush Valley for special automail, and that's where I found Martel."

"Martel?"

Paninya nodded. "She was in special operations and went MIA, it turned out she was just taken and experimented on by the government. She escaped with a couple of other guys, and they're the leaders of the resistance."

Ed held up a hand to stop her. "Resistance?"

She nodded, "We've had to be careful. There's a lot of people like Kimblee who are sent to kill soldiers that seem like they might rebel. That's why Ross died. Maybe if he wasn't so fucking insane he would have kept the rest of us out of it."

He looked away. She was obviously still bitter. They all were.

"There's a guy who works with Martel." Paninya continued, changing the subject. "He's pretty high ranking in the government, so we don't know his real name, but he goes by the code name of Greed. He said it's out of spite for what Bradley is doing. Pretty clever right?"

Ed nodded. "I guess."

"Anyways, he feeds us information from the meetings, and helps scout people who he thinks would be interested in joining. That's how I got back into contact with Brosh. And that's why I'm here. If we can get enough people, we can actually do something about this mess."

"How many are there in the resistance?" Ed asked cautiously.

Paninya gave him a look. "Fifty. Look, I know what you're going to say-"

"You're bat-shit crazy if you think that's going to do anything."

"And my response to that is quality over quantity."

The camera man folded his arms. "What?"

"We have you."

It took all that was in him not to get up and leave at that exact moment. "No you don't."

"Why not? You guys are a huge influence over Amestris, and you do radio too right?"

"We're not doing any of this." He protested. "At least they aren't. I'm not bringing innocent people into this."

"And what if they want to be brought in?" Paninya asked. "I mean- don't you care about making a change and revealing the truth and all that shit?"

"Yeah, sure, that's noble." Ed said. "But this is my fucking family we're talking about. My entire social circle."

She raised an eyebrow. "That's a small circle. You must be pretty lame."

He rolled his eyes, feeling a mixture of anxiety and irritation. He wanted this to be over as quickly as possible.

"Look, here's my proposition Ed." She said, putting both hands flat on the table, the automail one making a distinct scratching sound. "If these people are really like family to you, then you can trust them. Talk to your boss. Tell him what you've learned, do what you got to do. Then, if he's open to it, you guys can report it. If you really feel like you're in that much danger, we can arrange to have a couple of guys standing by and they can drive you somewhere safe as soon as the broadcast is over."

"And if I say no?"

"You won't." she said.

"What, are you going to threaten me?" Ed asked.

She met his stare. "No, I don't need to. I spent six fucking months in the desert with your sorry ass. I know you. I know you aren't going to snitch, and I know you aren't going to just let them get away with this. You've got your fucking hero complex."

"Are you sure you aren't talking about yourself?"

Paninya stood up. "I've got your address, and a couple of guys that could get to your house in a few minutes if there are any problems. Go home and sleep on it. As long as you've been discreet you shouldn't have to worry about getting arrested."

Ed stood as well. "Thanks, that really eases my restless heart."

* * *

He regretted driving away. He wanted to go back and talk more. He wanted her to say more to convince him. He wanted to have more of a reason to consider doing something this crazy than just spending a few hours with some of his old military friends.

These were thoughts that went through his head as he reached out to open the door. Before his fingers could even brush the knob however, it flew open, and a bleary eyed Winry nearly ran him over on her way out.

"Jesus Christ Ed!" she said.

"Where the hell are you going?" he responded.

"To find you! Do you have any idea how late it is?"

It was then that he noted her state. She was wearing her work clothes, her hair was a mess, and her eyes were red. He gently backed her into their apartment and shut the door behind them, knowing that he was in for an ass kicking.

She began to rant before the door was even completely shut. He didn't dare interrupt.

"I came home and you were gone. I thought you were just going to Al's or something and I know that I mother you too much so I decided to not question it. But you didn't leave a note or call. And so I waited a few hours and called Al, and he said he hadn't seen you all fucking day. And by then it was dark out. I don't think you understand how worried I was Ed. I thought you might have been having problems or maybe you hurt yourself or maybe you were still depressed and weren't telling me. I looked all over the apartment and called everyone and walked all of down town."

By now she was crying, and Ed didn't even bother to speak. He knew he was knee deep in shit.

"And I'm trying my best to be there for you and to support you but you make it so fucking hard because you don't tell me what's going through your head. You don't tell me about your problems and you don't communicate at all and I have no idea if you're ever okay or how I can help. Do you know how hard that is? I'm always afraid for you and you don't even bother to confide in me. And when I ask you just brush it off and I feel like an overbearing babysitter and so I back the fuck down and let you go on your way."

Ed was quiet for a long time. "Has it been like this for you all along?"

"Yes!" she exclaimed. "Since you first stepped of that train."

"Are you angry?"

"Not with you, maybe with myself." She shook her head, "No, I'm angry at you too. But mostly I just want to punch something."

"You can punch me." He said, feeling a little regretful that he even let the thought through his mind, seeing as he could remember how hard she hit when they were twelve. "If it makes you feel better."

Winry let out a dry laugh, which caused some of the tension to break. "About five years ago I would have done it."

"I'd probably deserve it too." He said, giving her a soft smile. "Are you sure you don't want to punch me?"

"Don't tempt me." She said, rubbing her eyes. "I could really go for a hug right now though."

Ed had no trouble complying. At that point he'd do anything to make her stop crying. Whenever she cried it always hurt him in a sort of indirect way that he couldn't quite explain.

"I didn't know this was happening to you." He said. "I didn't share because I didn't think it mattered that you knew."

"It matters to me." Winry said. "An awful fucking lot."

"I can see that."

"Where were you Ed?"

It took a long while for him to muster the courage to say anything, and to his dismay she had the patience to wait.

Would he endanger her by telling her about the resistance? Would she think he's crazy, or even a criminal? Would she be angry?

It was then that Ed began to realize that if there was anyone he could trust with what was going on, it was her.

"Can we talk on the bed?"

* * *

"Do you think we could do it?" Winry asked cautiously.

Ed blinked, surprised that she was so ready to jump in, though in retrospect he shouldn't have been. "Do you want to?"

"More than anything."

He heaved a sigh. "Nothing like this has ever been done before. We either succeed or fail miserably, but either way there's a good chance we'll die."

She shook her head. "I think the people of Amestris are better than you give them credit for. If they knew what was happening I doubt they'd stand for any of it. If we have a majority on our side, the government wouldn't touch us."

"You're saying this with the assumption that they'll believe a word of what we say." Ed said.

Winry ran a hand through her hair. "We have a huge leverage in this city. If we send the story to the papers and the radio stations, and let them know that everyone else is airing it, they'd be idiots not to do the same."

He stared at her for a few moments. He expected her to oppose the idea, but now that she was in favor he wasn't sure of how to keep her out of the situation.

"I don't want you or anyone else getting hurt over this." Ed said. "There's no way we can air this and escape before someone intercepts us, whether that be the people or the government."

"You're wrong." She said, her eyes growing wide with realization, something that with Winry, made him nervous. "What if we prerecord it?"

He simply looked at her, silently telling her to continue.

"Prerecord everything. The entire show. Fill it with evidence and interviews to back this up. Have the briefs ready to send out to the other stations and the newspapers. Have one person stay back and send the briefs, air it, then get the fuck out. The rest of us can have an entire day's head start. Maybe more if we prerecord a few other shows. Potentially we could be gone for a week before this hits the air."

This was going far too quickly for his liking. By now he was willing to latch on to anything to slow it down. "What about everyone's jobs?"

"We could have Roy disguise it and say the station took a sudden downturn and will close shortly. They can have something lined up and the day we all get out is the day we go out of business."

"But... is it fair to do this to everyone?"

Winry frowned. "We need to at least talk to him. We need to look at our options. But Ed- I don't want to just sit and watch things go by anymore. I'm tired of not having an effect on any of this."

Ed glared at were his legs were crossed on the bed. He didn't want her or Al or anyone for that matter to get hurt from it. He couldn't stand the thought of it, even if it meant saving the country.

"Hey…" Winry said, prompting him to look at her. "We won't do anything rash. We'll plan this all out. We'll make it out safe, Okay?"

He nodded, even though her words only swept over him lightly. He couldn't bring himself to believe any of it.

She was obviously alright with it. He would even go as far as to say she was excited about it. She kissed his cheek. "Thank you Ed."

"Yeah yeah." He said, pulling her down so they could sleep. "I'm just hoping in the morning you'll change your mind."

"I won't."

"I know."

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Okay so I stayed up super late to write this chapter. It's quite the doozy. A lot of things happened here, and it's all downhill from now folks. I'm pretty out of it so I'm not going to say much. Please excuse any spelling or grammar mistakes as I am dirt tired. Let me know what you thought of it please!**

 **Quiteokayish**


	9. Chapter 9

Despite all of his ambitions and self-centered tendencies, Roy Mustang had his virtues. He didn't hesitate in the slightest when Ed and Winry asked to meet with him privately. He sat quietly and listened to their story; keeping a neutral expression throughout every part- even that which included broadcasting a government coup on live television.

When they had told him all there was to tell, he sat in silence for a few moments. Ed felt a clenching in his chest. He trusted Roy, but at this point it wouldn't be too far of a stretch that the man would report them to police.

"Ed… do you know for a fact that what you say is true?"

"I've told you everything I know." He responded. "I can't promise you that it's all completely true, but I trust these people. They wouldn't lie to me."

Roy nodded, and then glanced at Winry. "And you believe him?"

"Yes."

The director was quiet for a while, his hands laced together as he closed his eyes, apparently in thought. Ed and Winry shared a side-long glance. He felt as if his heart had crawled up into his throat.

After what felt like an eternity, Roy opened his eyes. "I won't be giving either of you overtime for this." He said.

It took a few moments to register in his mind, but when it did Ed couldn't help but grin.

"I'm going to have to agree with you." The director went on. "This entire war always seemed strange to me. Nothing really lined up. We've been at peace for ten years, why would Ishvalans suddenly attack us? And why were the attacks so horrific and constant? Why were the police so cooperative, yet the military wouldn't even pick up the phone? I didn't say too much because I was still riding off of the high that came with our station staying open."

He looked pointedly at Winry. "The day you came back after reporting on those kids that were killed, it all kind of hit me. I enjoy success, for sure, but I began to realize that that wasn't the most important thing to me. The real reason I was so eager to take advantage of our increased viewership was because it meant the crew would have jobs. It meant that we could stay the big happy family that we'd always been."

He took a breath, grinning wryly. "But that's not as important as your wellbeing. I've seen how this war has messed you up, Ed, and everyone else in the crew too. Al's had his fair share of mental breakdowns when writing the shows. Maes and Rose aren't nearly as happy here as they used to be, and I'm sure reporting on these terrible crimes for this long has done more than enough damage to you, Winry."

The girl next to him nodded faintly.

Roy sat back. "That being said I won't risk anyone getting jailed for treason. If I heard correctly, you two have a plan?"

"Yes." Winry said, and Ed allowed her to take the reins. She had stayed up the entire night before preparing for this.

"We can prerecord the shows, maybe a couple of days in advance, maybe a week if we're dedicated. I can anchor for those, as I'm sure Maes and Rose would rather stay out of this. The resistance can issue body guards for them, or they can simply move. You can tell the station that our views have taken a downturn, and that they need to have another job lined up. Nobody has to know anything, nobody has to be involved, although I think Ed said Lan Fan and Ling would be up for it."

He nodded. "I can speak with them myself. Ling may be questionable, but I'm sure that Lan Fan will stay back to help us record."

"Ed and I will gather as much evidence against Fuhrer Bradley as we can until then. There are people in the resistance willing to interview with us, and some would be willing to set up amateur recordings in meetings and such. We'll try to keep all of this as legal as possible, as to avoid being arrested. Someone can stay behind to make sure that our shows get on the air, and the day that we reveal what we've learned they'll send the briefs to the papers and the radio stations. People in the resistance could escort that person to safety soon after."

"We'll leave as soon as we can, and move somewhere discreet for a time. We'll wait for the signal that things are alright before we come back into the public."

Roy was nodding intently at all that they said. "In the best of circumstances, I still doubt that we'd be able to open up the station again. But if we take all of the necessary precautions, we might just pull this off. And save thousands of lives in the process."

He glanced back and forth between them. "I want you to check with the military HQ to see if you can film there, just for beauty shots and fillers. You can disguise it as a special on their programs, and even slap something together and air it the week before, as to keep away suspicion."

He then looked at Ed. "I want you to get with Al so you can plan this out. In the meantime I'll talk to Riza. There will be a meeting tomorrow afternoon about our stations 'downturn', and you better act as surprised and pissed off as the rest of them will be."

They both nodded vigorously.

"Then you're excused for now." He said, but as they stood up, he spoke. "Also, I'm glad you brought this up. I think for once, I'll be taking a step in what I know is the right direction."

* * *

Ed wasn't surprised that Al was excited at his news. The younger Elric brother went just as quickly into a rant of ideas as Winry did. Ed explained all that he could to him, and soon enough his brother shut himself in his office to begin writing the show.

By the time two months had passed, the majority of the station had moved on to other jobs. Many of them were frustrated, and even a little suspicious, but Roy was a good actor. Ed did his best to act distressed at the news of the station shutting down, but at that point, losing his job was the last of his worries.

Winry had called Pinako and explained to her that the next month would be incredibly busy, keeping it as vague as she could. She told her grandmother that she wouldn't be able to contact her for a while, and delicately hinted at some trouble, though she promised that she'd explain everything in full soon enough. Luckily, Pinako left it at that.

Ling and Lan Fan were both willing to stay behind to shoot, though they left as quickly as they could afterwards. They had something set up with some relatives in Xing, they had told him. Ed had no idea when he'd see either of them again, but offered them his best wishes. Winry even allowed Lan Fan to take her out to dinner the night before she caught the train.

Al was in a frenzy to get the show done. As the producer, he was just as likely, if not more likely to be convicted than Ed. The older brother could tell he was nervous, as he hardly slept or ate. Al was gone two weeks before the show aired, leaving to stay at their childhood home in Resembool. They figured that it was the most remote location they'd be willing to stay at, and it would leave Pinako out of it for the most part. If they ran low on the aggressive amounts of canned food Al had packed, then Winry could head over and explain things to her grandmother, as well as get supplies in the process.

His younger brother left Mae with a simple note that he would call her as soon as he could. He didn't bother to explain anything to her, as she could easily be a target if they went after him.

The week before the show aired, Ed and Winry were practically spending every day and night at the station, simply putting together shows and editing the stories. They lived off of energy drinks and sugar, and Winry had to be extra heavy with her make up when she recorded shows, since the bags under her eyes had notably grown and darkened.

When Ed hit the export button for the last time, he pushed his chair into the desk of his editing bay and went to find Winry. She was in the downstairs hall speaking with Riza and Roy. The two of them had decided to stay back and make sure that the shows aired, they had never told Ed what they planned to do next.

When he reached the bottom of the stairs he noticed that Roy had a camera bag in one hand. When the director saw him, he held it out for Ed to take.

"I doubt we'll need this for a while, so why don't you take it with you?"

Ed grinned as he took his prized instrument from the director. He didn't say it, but working with a camera would be the thing he missed the most about news, and he was relieved that Roy had offered it to him.

Winry met his eyes. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah," Ed said, and him and Roy followed as Riza and Winry led the way to the parking lot.

"You take good care of my reporter, you hear me Elric?" Roy said in a low voice so that the women in front of him wouldn't hear.

"As long as you watch over my editor." He responded.

The director snorted. "We both know she'll be the one watching over me."

* * *

Ed had booked a private car on the train to Resembool, hoping that no one would get too suspicious of them. Thankfully, it wasn't travel season, and there were very few others on the train.

Winry quickly set her bag down beside Ed's, then joined him on the seat. She yawned, stretching her arms above her head. "Ten hours to Resembool." She said. "How much do you want to bet I can sleep the whole way?"

Ed smiled. "I'm broke enough as it is, but thanks."

She leaned her head on his shoulder, her eyes half open. "Ed?"

"Hm?"

"We should get married when this whole thing is over."

He sighed heavily, it wasn't the first time they had had this conversation. "Winry… that could take years. For all we know we could be dead next week."

She smiled. "Yeah, I know. Maybe in heaven then?"

"Probably not." Ed responded, "I'm a wicked, grumpy atheist remember?"

"Well shit." She said. "Looks like the weddings off."

"You're not getting out of this that easily, seeing as I'll be dragging you down to hell with me."

"You already did, babe."

He nudged her. "Go to sleep, you twat."

* * *

They had been at the house for two weeks, and there were yet to be imminent signs of danger. They had heard from the kitchen radio that there were allegations of fraud within the government, basically repeating the information that they had published. There was no mention of Winry or any station employees, however, which was a relief for Ed.

They were to wait for a letter from "Elizabeth"-who was really Riza- before they could reveal themselves to the public. Luckliy they had at least a month's worth of food.

It was strange to be back in the place where Ed and Al spent their childhood. If Ed remembered correctly the room where their mother died was locked, though neither of the brothers bothered to try it.

They spent the first few days searching through old memories. Ed found several chemistry books that he used to read religiously, as well as old toys and puzzles that he had had. The brothers spent several hours simply sitting in their old room discussing memories.

The trio spent the next week catching up on some well-deserved rest. Winry and Ed kept their affection at a low level for Al's sake, but didn't pass up the chance to kiss when he wasn't in the room.

One morning, Ed went downstairs to find Winry standing in the kitchen, staring at the bulletin board above the sink. It was only when he came to stand beside her that he realized what it was she was looking at.

"Why is he crying?" she asked, moving the surrounding papers to get a better look of his family picture, the only one they had ever taken all together.

"I don't know," Ed said honestly, staring at the picture. He had begun to forget the details of his mother's face. It was a relief to be reminded again.

"Do you want to get into contact with him?" Winry asked.

Ed's eyes moved from his mother's face to his father's. He thought it ironic that he had inherited the majority of his features from a man he barely knew.

"I'd rather fall out of a four story building."

"I'm sorry," she said quickly, glancing back at him. "I know this is a sensitive subject for you, I shouldn't have brought it up."

"No, it's fine." Ed assured her. "I'm just still angry with him I guess."

"Me too." Winry said. "When he left it really messed you guys up, and then Trisha died and he didn't even bother to call." She let out a low sigh. "I hated watching you go through that."

"I wish I knew why he left." Ed admitted. "Even if it was for a wrong reason, at least I would know."

"Do you miss him?" She asked.

He thought about it for a moment or so; no one had ever asked him that.

"I know I should, but I don't."

There was a long pause as they simply stared at the photo.

"Do you miss your parents Winry?"

"Every damn day."

He put his arm around her. "We've made it pretty far. I mean, we're a little screwed up, but we're doing okay. I'm sure we'll make it to the finish line."

"That could be tomorrow." She said.

Ed hummed for a moment. "I don't think so."

She turned around to face him. "Why the change of heart?"

"I may not believe in a higher power, but I do believe in mysterious forces. You know- karma and that shit. We've racked up an awful lot of good guy points. We should be okay."

She smiled. "Edward Elric-"

"What?"

"I should kiss you."

He smirked. "I dare you."

Winry was never one to back down from a challenge.

* * *

On the first day of the third week, there was a knock at the door.

At that time they were sitting in the front room, Al reading a book in the armchair, while Winry was taking a nap next to Ed, the later was also starting to doze off. The first tap on the door nearly went past them, but the second was much louder. The three of them jumped; their eyes wide.

"Edward Elric-" A unfamiliar voice called. "I know you're there. Open this door."

None of them dared to speak, though Ed made a motion for them to head into the kitchen. They tiptoed back behind the counter, hardly daring to breath. The entire time the pounding on the door was constant.

"Maybe if we just ignore him," Winry suggested.

"He called me by name." Ed said. "He's got to know somethings up."

"I swear to God, you little punk, I will break down this door!" the voice hollered, interrupting them.

He cursed. "Al, do you know where I keep my pistol?"

"Under your bedside table." He responded, but quickly followed with, "Ed, I have no idea how to use a gun!"

"I'm giving you ten seconds!" the voice shouted.

"You'll figure it out." He assured, "No go, I'll see what's going on."

Winry glared at him. "Don't fuck it up." She said, before following Al down the hall to his bedroom.

Ed took a breath before stiffly heading to the door. He could hear his heart beat in his ears as he turned the knob with shaking hands. He half expected a soldier on the other side, with a loaded firearm ready to execute.

To his dismay, that was exactly what he found.

The man that stood on his porch was in full military uniform. He had spiky black hair and eyes that hinted at mischief. He had a loaded pistol aimed at the lock on the door; he was just about to break in.

Ed stood there, waiting for something to happen. He braced himself to be shot, or handcuffed, or beaten, but none of those things happened. The man in front of him simply put his gun away and heaved a loud sigh. "What took you so long? I was pretty close to breaking my hand on that door."

He stared up at him for a long moment, not knowing what to say. This man wasn't intent on blowing his head off after all.

"The names Greed." He said, flashing him a smirk. "Well, it's not actually Greed, but for the sake of cool codenames and shit, we'll just leave it at that."

Something clicked. "'Greed' as in the one whose leading the resistance?" Ed asked.

"No, Greed as in the one who runs the hot dog stand down town." He could tell that he was trying to be funny, but Ed was still in such a state of shock he couldn't say anything.

"How can I be sure you're the real Greed?" Ed pushed, glancing out of the corner of his eye. He was relieved to see that Winry and Al were nowhere in sight.

The man groaned. "You're really going to make me work for it? Fine." He turned around and waved at someone on the street. Ed hadn't even noticed he was there.

The man started to approach, and as he got closer Ed began to realize that it was Brosh.

The soldier was grinning widely as he waved at him. There were tears in his eyes when he got to the doorway. "You did it, Ed." He said, "You turned the tides."

"Brosh…" he started, "Is it safe now? What happened?"

The man opened his mouth to talk, but Al's voice cut him off. "Ed, you could at least invite them inside."

The camera man turned and shot his brother a glare from where he sat at the table with Winry. They must have heard the conversation and figured it was safe to emerge.

Ed held the door a little wider, and the two of them stepped inside. "We've got coffee," he suggested lamely.

"And I see you've got the sugar to go with it." Greed said, winking at Winry. Ed tried not to look annoyed. He had put his life in the hands of THIS man?

Al poured them all beverages, and then joined them at the table for the long and inevitable explanation of what the last two weeks had entailed.

"At first no one did anything, I think they were all in shock. It was the Ishvalans that led the first protests, and soon enough people began to join them. It was only once a couple of high ranking senators voiced their thoughts that it started to have an impact." Brosh explained.

Ed paused. "Did anyone get hurt?"

Greed let out a low sigh. "Mostly those who didn't protest peacefully. There were a lot of people that simply stormed the capital, and they were shot or arrested soon enough. Even those who civilly defied Bradley were attacked by his supporters. I'd say at least twenty people died. Thankfully, officer Grumman stepped in before there could be too much bloodshed. He led the protests, as well as the court case against Bradley. With the amount of evidence and witnesses, he was convicted rather quickly, and sent to a maximum security prison."

Winry shook her head. "It just weird to me- how did they come to rise up against him so quickly? There were so few that opposed him before."

Greed shot her a grin. "That's because the smart ones were careful about it. There's still the fair share of tradition loving stubborn citizens who refuse to even entertain the idea, but there were many people lost in that war. Innocent Ishvalan men, women and children alike, not to mention the thousands of soldiers we sent over, with only a 65 percent survival rate. Nearly everyone knew at least one person who died in the war. I can only imagine how livid they would be to find out that it was in vain."

"So what's it like now?" Al asked.

"Bradley stepped down, and was soon arrested for fraud and several war crimes. Grumman has taken the presiding seat in the government until we can arrange an election." Ed nodded, though he hadn't heard much of him before, it was steadily becoming apparent that the military officer had perhaps the largest role to play in their success.

"There are still going to be riots for some time." Brosh continued. "I'd stay in Resembool for a few months if you can, just until things die down."

"It's not exactly downhill form here." Greed added. "There's going to be a decent amount of unrest in Amestris, and I doubt the people will ever trust the government as they once did. Still- come this time next year there won't be any soldiers going to war, or any innocent people dying from it. If that's what it takes, then I'm willing to settle."

Ed let that sink in for a few moments. "What will you do now?"

Brosh rested his head on his palm. "Just pick things up from where they left off, but I suppose it's time I move on from the military."

Greed nodded. "I think I'm going to find out more about all of those 'MIA' soldiers that were experimented on. I've seen the result, and it's pretty damn ugly. They're going to need all the help they can get."

"Will you deliver a message for me once you get back to Central City?" Al asked.

"Sure," Brosh said, "Who do you have in mind?"

"I'll just need you to drop off a letter at my old apartment. My girlfriend is probably pretty worried."

Greed snorted. "Kid, you're going to be in the dog house for quite a while."

"Yeah, I'm sure." Al said. "I just thought I'd do my time as quickly as I could."

* * *

They received a letter from "Elizabeth" that same day. They had been granted a personal pardon from Grumman, as well as everyone else involved with the coup. They could head back to central at any point, though she recommended they take their time.

Pinako was less than pleased that Winry, Ed and Al had lied to her. She simply stared in shock when the three arrived at her door, and then went off on a rant, stressing just how worried she was once she heard the news, and how needlessly reckless they were. She also told Winry that she had expected more of her than to act like an Elric boy. The girl only grinned and hugged her grandmother, which seemed to calm her down enough, though she did immediately set them off to do house work as punishment.

The rest of the day consisted of laundry, scrubbing, sweeping, and everything between. The entire time Pinako sat relaxing on her porch, petting Den who napped at her side.

It was tiresome work, but Ed didn't mind too much. He figured it was the least he could do to pay her back. By the end of the day the baseboards shined and the windows were clearer than they'd even been. The three of them showered and took a nap before going downstairs for dinner. It was only when Ed had realized that Pinako had made his favorite stew that he knew she had forgiven them.

When they had finished their dinner, Al and Winry were quick to put away their bowls and head upstairs. Ed was one step behind them, though before he could leave the kitchen Pinako grabbed him by the ear and yanked him down harshly.

"I'm not stupid, Edward Elric." She said. "You take damn good care of my granddaughter or I'll beat the shit out of you."

It was the first threat that he took seriously in a long time.

The brothers had their own rooms in Pinako's house, and Ed stopped in his briefly to change into pajamas and untie his hair. He considered discreetly sneaking into Winry's room, then figured that they'd be found out regardless and went in without a second thought.

She wasn't in her room however, but on the balcony just outside. Ed quietly walked over to her, finding that she was sitting against the railing with her legs hanging over the edge. He did the same.

"You tired?"

"Yeah," she said, "But not as much in the sleepy way, it's a little more mental."

"Me too." Ed said, breathing a heavy sigh. Her hand found his, and they sat like that for a while, enjoying the dewy night air and each other's silent company.

Her knee nudged his. "I don't mean to ruin the moment or anything, but I'm getting stiff. Can we go inside?"

Ed pulled himself back over the balcony and followed her in. Her bed was a simple twin one, so they were a little crowded when they both laid down, but he didn't mind.

Winry laid tucked in at his side, her head resting on his arm. "What next?"

He shrugged. "Back to Central City- I guess. We can check up on Roy and the station. If our pattern of luck continues it might just open again."

"I don't know if I want to work in news anymore, to be honest." She said. "It's thrilling, and definitely kept me busy, but from being away from it this long I've realized that it's never really allowed me to breathe. Not in the past year- at least."

"Radio then?"

She shrugged. "Maybe, or maybe I'll just pick up Granny's automail business. For now though, I just want to catch up on sleep."

Ed agreed, and pulled her comforter up to cover them. He didn't really mind that she wasn't interested in news. He could definitely see where she was coming from. The camera in his room, however, beckoned him. He briefly entertained the idea of becoming an independent filmmaker. He wouldn't make any money, and would probably stay living a quiet life forever, but as he glanced at Winry, he soon realized that even if he did get a 'successful' job, she'd probably still be the real bread winner. He smiled at the irony of it. Things always seemed to be a little out of order for them.

He could tell that she was about to fall asleep, and so offered a quick "Love you," before reaching over to turn off the lamp. Winry mumbled a response that sounded vaguely similar, and was soon dozing off.

Ed sighed. They'd probably wait a month before going back to Central City. He could see Al staying there to pick up where he left off with his career and with Mae. Though the more he thought about it the more Ed came to the conclusion that it would probably just be a pit stop for him and Winry. Go in- grab their things- and head back to Resembool.

They'd probably stop by the jewelry store on the way out, as well.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Heeyyyyy so this is awkward. I thought I had posted this chapter a month or so ago. It's only when I looked back at my account that I realized it's just been sitting in my documents. My apologies friends.**

 **I've decided to edit this with a little update, this story has in fact ended. :( I enjoyed writing it quite a bit though, as I haven't written anything for FMA before so this was bound to be a challenge. There won't be any more chapters unless I'm inclined to write an epilogue or something of the sort. Thanks for reading friends!**

 **That's all folks, hope you enjoyed it. Let me know what you think!**

 **Quiteokayish**


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